Okay, seriously back to basics, but so necessary. Teach your child to answer:
"How are you feeling?"
I know you think I am crazy right now. It seems so commonplace in our world. We greet everyone from the grocer to our spouse with how are you? But I am not talking about fine, good, okay. But rather those scary unused words for RAD kids.
Scared, disappointed, sad, tired, thirsty, angry, happy
Ask often. Helping ID and talk through things with Mom can help divert some behaviors that would be expressed otherwise inappropriately.
7 comments:
YES....fine and good are too safe for them...Charts with specific pictures and words for different emotions are great ways to do this, you can even make your own with magazines. They can choose the one that helps fit their emotion without words if that is hard for them.
I did make charts when my girlies were first home. They hung on our walls for quite a while. It was one of my attempts at having visual aids all around...which might speak to their hearts. A way for them to understand on some level....through osmosis even ....what they were stepping into when they became members of a family.
I did this too with "ideas" that I wanted them to grasp....ideas that did not come naturally. For instance....the "idea" of fathers. I made collages from magazine/catalog photos of Daddies w/their kids. Playing....laughing....reading together...swimming...raking leaves....etc. I wrote in big letters....LOVE....PROTECT.....PROVIDE FOR....CHERISH....TICKLE....INSTRUCT....DISCIPLINE....CUDDLE....etc. I did the same for mothers....brothers & sisters....grandparents...etc.
It's been years now. I do not know if the visual aids are consciously remembered.....but I do think that somewhere deep down....they were stepping stones in understanding.
Don't forget.....we had two biological sons at home when their new sisters arrived. The visual aids...no doubt....had an affect on the boys as well.
Wow, what a great idea! This has to be my favorite RAD blog! I need to find a way to link it to mine as one I follow.
I liked the comments above by readers too. You guys give me so many good ideas!
Also, I have some heart message pictures to send you. How do I do it?
Hi there Becky Joie! And welcome. We love getting heart photos.
Just e-mail them to :
attachinghearts@yahoo.com
I glued faces of people showing different feelings inside the front of cover of my boys journals. They haven't written in them in awhile. Good reminder that we need to talk more about our feelings. And you just reminded me. I have a heart picture for you. I'm off to find it.
I can't find an email address. Help me pleeeeeeeeeease.
The e-mail address is posted on the sidebar. It was there before...then it was gone?????? now it's back. Can't wait to hear from all of you.
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