27 DEC 2013 by ideonexus
Connect to a Child's Left-Brain Before the Right
when a child is upset, logic often won’t work until we have responded to the right brain’s emotional needs. We call this emotional connection “attunement,” which is how we connect deeply with another person and allow them to “feel felt.” When parent and child are tuned in to each other, they experience a sense of joining together.
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It’s also crucial to keep in mind that no matter how nonsensical and frustrating our child’s feelings may seem to us, they are real and imp...
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A strategy for dealing with chidren, who lack the emotional regulation for logical thinking. Calm them by connecting to their feelings, and then attempt to rationalize with them.
27 DEC 2013 by ideonexus
Have Children Tell Stories to Reduce Anxieties
A toddler falls and scrapes an elbow. A kindergartner loses a beloved pet. A fifth-grader faces a bully at school. When a child experiences painful, disappointing, or scary moments, it can be overwhelming, with big emotions and bodily sensations flooding the right brain. When this happens, we as parents can help bring the left hemisphere into the picture so that the child can begin to understand what’s happening. One of the best ways to promote this type of integration is to help retell the...Having children tell and re-tell stories of traumatizing experiences can help them understand and master their feelings of it.
