Therapeutic Tools

Children who have experienced trauma may have learned that relationships are unpredictable, adults may not always be safe or available, and they may need to rely heavily on themselves to get their needs met.

Trauma can affect children's behavior, learning, relationships, emotional regulation, and sense of safety. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network emphasizes that trauma-informed care involves recognizing the impact of traumatic stress and creating environments that promote safety, collaboration, recovery, and resilience.

That makes the cooperative structure of games especially interesting. The players are not opponents. There is no child who is “bad at the game.” No child has to defeat another child.

Instead:

“We are on the same team.”

• collaboration

Here’s an activity that’s cheaper than school supplies…and I promise it’ll last a whole lot longer! It’s so easy for us to focus on what our kids might worry about this school year—making friends, liking their teacher, or struggling with something new.

But what if we sent them to school carrying confidence instead of our worries?

Have your child draw a picture of themselves and decorate it however they want. Then, around their picture, add positive “I AM” statements using the letters in their name.

For example, DANA:✨ I am Daring✨ I am Amazing✨ I am Nice✨ I am Adventurous

Have them read their “I AM” statements every morning before school. It takes less than a minute, but it’s a simple way to remind them who they are before someone tells them who they are not.

And then…post a picture of their masterpiece in our group chat! Let’s fill the group with…