INTRODUCTION
This track is a call from the singer to her friend to share how he is really feeling. With so much pressure, particularly on boys, to keep their feelings to themselves, young people need to be reminded to unburden themselves and be honest about their emotional wellbeing. This session encourages an atmosphere of honesty and support for one another in better addressing mental health issues.
Before the session, print out a selection of images of different emojis and pin them up around the room. Begin the session by asking the group a number of questions that use the emoji cards as a response. Depending on the group, you may like to ask them to go and stand by the card that indicates their response, think for themselves about which represents them or print out a set of individual cards that young people can hold up in response.
Questions could include:
- Which emoji best describes your week?
- How do you usually feel on a Saturday morning?
- How are you feeling today / tonight?
- How would you like to feel right now?
TRACK: CRYBABY
Introduce the song, providing copies of the lyrics for young people to follow. Explain that during this session we are going to be thinking about our feelings and how well we manage our emotional wellbeing. Explain that this song is written to a friend who is struggling with mental health issues but clearly feels under pressure to keep his problems to himself. Ask the group to find any helpful or encouraging lines in the song that they think would help someone open up to their friends.
Remind the group that we regularly feel under pressure to keep our anxieties or issues to ourselves, particularly boys, who are often told to ‘man up’. Invite members of the group to share their own stories of times when they have kept issues to themselves or helped a friend acknowledge their struggles. Ask a leader to share a little of their own story.
Look together at 1 Peter 3:8-12. Ask the group to explore what Peter says about the way we should look out for, and after, one another. How does this resonate with the approach of the singer in this song? How different would the world / our community / this group look if we put this into action?
Remind the group that this is a safe space where they are free to be honest about how they’re feeling. Each of us shares in the responsibility of caring for one another and putting these verses into action. Create space where you can address any issues raised, as appropriate, and as you draw the session to a close, pray for your young people, perhaps on an individual basis, as required.
