The holidays can be a tough time mentally for anyone. With the pandemic ongoing, some of us may have experienced tough challenges. We've decided to create a series of activities for everyone in the family to keep us emotionally balanced! Feel free to create your own twist or add to the activity!
Day 1: We want you to write a letter or draw a picture for someone who might be feeling lonely.
How to talk to children about loneliness?
Young children appear to understand what lonely may feel like i.e. when asked if they feel sad when they don't have anyone to play with and how finding a friend can help to overcome this. As your child gets older, they may learn expand their conceptual understanding of
lonliness wherein they might not feel seen or heard even accepted in some way by their peers or adults in their lives. Children that are lonely often miss out on experiences with their peers, this is a great exercise for helping children explore this concept.
It is important to talk to children about how they might be feeling as you hold space for them and allow an open conversation about their thoughts, feelings and emotions. Interestingly, just because someone is alone doesn't necessarily mean their lonely. These are great things to talk to children about!
How Play Therapy helps.
Play Therapy in essence gives your child the necessary skills to be emotionally regulated. It generally also fills a wide gap in therapy services for young children. Through "Play" your child's therapist equips them with a precious toolkit to be successful at managing their emotions and transitioning to activities without you. Play Therapists are able to connect with your child and reinforce how your child puts in effort in dealing with their emotions appropriately. Emotional intelligence requires children to use a part of their brain that is still developing. Your child does not have all the "equipment" needed to control their impulses, identify their emotions, and express their emotions.
The home environment is the primary influence in shaping the way we respond to things. When a Play Therapist works with your child, they empower them to build on ways to handle their emotions well. It is effective with tangible results that have allowed children to make massive strides in their emotional and behavioral development crucial in managing tough transitions like being separated from you!
If you would like to speak to a qualified Play therapist to learn how your child could benefit from play therapy, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation today or take our quiz!
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