Not too long ago, I wrote about tapping (EFT) as a wonderful practice for connecting with more ease on our mothering journeys – a wonderful tool for us to use as Mamas, but also so magnificent for us to teach our children! Tapping helps children learn more about their emotions and offers a way for them to shift some of the more challenging ones, improving their resiliency in the face of the stresses life tosses them.
What kinds of stress are kids experiencing?
- Learning challenges
- ADHD symptoms that make it difficult to focus & learn
- Social stress through peer relationships
- Bullying
- Tendency to perfectionism & always wanting to get things right
- Worry about family or friends
- Sleep challenges
- Nightmares
- Anxiety
Tapping helps the body, mind & spirit release distressing emotions, beliefs & memories & can also be used to reinforce positive emotions & improve self esteem. This beautiful combination of benefits not only supports a child’s overall well being, it also helps create the environment in his/her brain for optimal learning & positive behaviour.
The team at The Tapping Solution Foundation are aiming to introduce tapping in schools around the world:
If you’d like to bring tapping to your child’s school, I’ve included some resources for you below. In the meantime, I encourage you to begin practicing with your child(ren) at home.
Tapping is a simple self care process that involves using two fingers to lightly tap on specific acupuncture points. As we tap, we talk about the distressing event or emotion & what it feels like & then follow with positive self talk or affirmations. There are 9 points to tap on (see image below), in sequence:
Children as young as 4 years old have learned tapping. Sometimes the process feels a little strange to practice at first, but when kids notice the difference in how they feel, the process is positively reinforced. If you’re teaching a younger child how to tap, “Gorilla Thumps & Bear Hugs” by Alex Ortner might be a great resource for you to use:
In addition, this is a great post from The Big Life Journal and includes a printable describing 5 ways to tap with kids:
Here some more of my favourite, resources for parents & teachers
The Tapping Solution Kids Resource Centre
Free audio recordings full of information about teaching tapping to kids, incorporating tapping into parenting, tapping for teens, tapping for parents with children with ADHD, helping children conquer anxiety.
Free videos showing a variety of tapping processes for parents & children.
The Tapping Solution Foundation
Includes free resources for educators as well as articles about tapping for stress & anxiety relief in the classroom.
The Choose Love Movement – Extension Programs – Tapping for Stress Relief in Classrooms
Resources adapted for a variety of age groups, from early elementary to high school.
Happy Tapping!