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Giving Your Child Words for the Hard Thing
A young child rarely has words for something hard; give them a simple phrase for what their body feels.
A two-minute read, three things to try, for children under 7.
Where to start
- Offer a simple phrase in the car: “Our bodies remember before our heads do.”
- Say it again, in different ways, over the following weeks.
- Sit nearby while your child plays, and don’t interpret the play back to them.
The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.
Source
Anna Freud, family-wellbeing resources on early-childhood trauma and the role of play
It goes with
- Trauma in Childhood. For parents whose child has been through something hard, or whose family has.
The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.
Free on this subject
- Trauma. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
- Child development. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.