How do you help a child that has been traumatized (abused and neglected)? What sort of therapeutic techniques work with these children? Will mindfulness practices help children alleviate the devestating effects on their development? Cathy Mlchiodi, from TLC Institute has a novel answer: 

“When it comes to children, some readers may ask, “Well, how do we successfully adapt what is known about meditation, mindfulness and relaxation to young people?” One popular technique I have used with children for many years is called “Lion’s Breath” and uses an imaginative metaphor (the lion’s roar) to help young people learn the same relaxation skills that teens and adults may learn through traditional methods and yoga breathing:

“I am going to teach you about a way to let go of worries or thoughts that might be bothering you. It’s called the Lion’s Breath and I want you to imagine you are a lion. Remember, a lion has a really, really big roar—can you roar? Now I want you to sit up with your legs crossed; if you feel more comfortable sitting up against a wall with your legs crossed, go ahead and do that (some children feel safer with their backs against a wall). Now, get ready to make your roar! Let’s try one all together as a group (we all roar in unison).

Before we roar again, let’s all think of a worry that we would like to let go off.  For a minute I want you to watch me and see how I roar. First, I am going to take in a really, really deep breath through my nose and then let my roar out through my mouth, sticking my tongue out at the same time and stretching out my arms out as far as I can in front of me. Let’s all try it together, okay?” (Leader and children perform the breathing and roaring together, sticking out their tongues and stretching out arms) (Malchiodi, 2000, p. 14).”

As a therapist that works with children that have been traumatized, I am always looking for unique ways to engage them and encourage healing. Because children don’t respond to traditional talk therapy in the way that adults do, nontraditional techniques such as art, yoga, and animal assisted therapy are invaluable tools in my “therapist toolbox.”

The “lion’s roar” suggested by therapist Cathy Malchiodi is an interesting way to teach children elementary meditation techniques through the use of breathing exercises. Contemporary attachment-based researchers, like Daniel Siegel and Bruce Perry, suggest that meditation and mindfulness can improve a child’s mental functioning and overcome trauma impacted brains.

What have you used with your child to manage the stress of trauma and teach mindfulness?

Making the most of gaming for your kids

Although videogames have great potential to be powerful vehicles for learning, there is no guarantee this will happen. Just as there is no guarantee that someone will understand the themes and symbols of “The Lord of the Flies” by simply reading it. As a result, kids need parents, teachers and their peers to engage their gaming in thoughtful ways. While there could be a long list of recommended practice, for simplicity sake I’ve reduced the list to three preliminary suggestions.

1. Play games. Otherwise how can you have meaningful conversations about them? Not learning how to play games would be akin to talking about “The Lord of the Flies” without having learned to read.
2. Connect games to books, movies, TV and the world around them. By thinking about games beyond their boundaries we can cultivate pattern recognition across media platforms and parlay the problem-solving of gaming into the real world.
3. Have your students or kids collaborate with other peers to analyze and interpret games, as well share strategies. There has been a raft of research in recent years that extols the wisdom of the crowd and the logic of the swarm. Through collaboration and networking kids can learn to enhance their own perspectives, ideas and, perhaps, contribute to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

I am a very right-brained person and much of my success in life is in trying to add a “virtualness” to my world. I do this through mind mapping software and having a lot of art around me, even using art in my day to day activities on the job. What do you think about the literacy of gaming for children?

Adoptive parents quickly realize that traditional forms of therapy are not as effective for their children’s issues. A therapist that understand the core issues of loss is needed and must include the parent in the therapy with the child. Read this superb whitepaper on one mom’s experience with “family therapy.”

Some people call them the “black sheep” of the family and are content to let them stay that way. Others try to change them and take them to psychologists and doctors. A few give up on them all together. This child is the “identified problem child” and many homes spend a lot of time and energy dealing with the member of the family. This rebellious, acting out child is most often seen in dysfunctional homes, where substance or physical abuse is taking place. The identified problem child serves a very important role in this type of family by balancing out the imbalance and protecting the abusive parent from outside interventions. In a lesser degree, even nonabusive families have children who cause more stress and trouble than other children in the home. This child resists parent’s efforts at discipline, is constantly mischievous, and appears to enjoy the attention that getting into trouble provides.

Are you the “black sheep” of the family? How did you get that way and what function does it serve in managing the balance in your home? Read more here: http://www.parentingtoolbox.com/2009/08/25/the-black-sheep-of-the-family/