This is something I highly relate to, so thank you for the gentle reminder to slow down and identify the feelings behind the reach for distraction. Do you have any tips on how to keep this pattern from forming in children? What can we do as parents to ensure the distractions don’t become the default for our kids?
Thank you for sharing! This blesses my heart to know how it blesses you. I, too, have to pause and consider “wait, what am I avoiding by being busy?”
And I love your foresight to help your kiddos not fall into this trap! It starts with emotional awareness. Kids (and even adults) can’t tackle what they can’t name (for example, it’s why healthcare professionals start with diagnosis then treatment). 1. Start by helping your kiddos name the feeling: fear, sad, hurt, guilt, shame, anger/frustration. 2. Teach them the actual need behind the emotion. Our busyness is often because we don’t know how to get the emotional need met, so we compensate. So, anger means their voice needs to be heard. Hurt means they need healing. Sadness needs comfort. Guilt needs forgiveness. Shame needs support. Fear needs wisdom.
I’d start there! I created the kids journals, Big Feelings, Bigger Faith, to help with this. Those are on Amazon. I also created the Emotion charades game too. The easy cards teach the emotion. The medium cards teach the needs.
Once kids can name the emotion and the need, they’re more likely to say “I’m sad, I need…” or “I’m overwhelmed. I need…” rather than jumping to “busyness”/screens/scrolling/withdrawing as a numbing tool.
Part 12 in the executive function series will be on meta-cognition which will also include tips for teaching kiddos to pause and ask themselves “what am I thinking? What am I feeling? What do I need here?”
This is something I highly relate to, so thank you for the gentle reminder to slow down and identify the feelings behind the reach for distraction. Do you have any tips on how to keep this pattern from forming in children? What can we do as parents to ensure the distractions don’t become the default for our kids?
Thank you for sharing! This blesses my heart to know how it blesses you. I, too, have to pause and consider “wait, what am I avoiding by being busy?”
And I love your foresight to help your kiddos not fall into this trap! It starts with emotional awareness. Kids (and even adults) can’t tackle what they can’t name (for example, it’s why healthcare professionals start with diagnosis then treatment). 1. Start by helping your kiddos name the feeling: fear, sad, hurt, guilt, shame, anger/frustration. 2. Teach them the actual need behind the emotion. Our busyness is often because we don’t know how to get the emotional need met, so we compensate. So, anger means their voice needs to be heard. Hurt means they need healing. Sadness needs comfort. Guilt needs forgiveness. Shame needs support. Fear needs wisdom.
I’d start there! I created the kids journals, Big Feelings, Bigger Faith, to help with this. Those are on Amazon. I also created the Emotion charades game too. The easy cards teach the emotion. The medium cards teach the needs.
Once kids can name the emotion and the need, they’re more likely to say “I’m sad, I need…” or “I’m overwhelmed. I need…” rather than jumping to “busyness”/screens/scrolling/withdrawing as a numbing tool.
Part 12 in the executive function series will be on meta-cognition which will also include tips for teaching kiddos to pause and ask themselves “what am I thinking? What am I feeling? What do I need here?”
I hope all do that helps!
Thanks again for reading!!
I’m praying for you and your young ones!🫶🏼