A few years back, my brother Alex had an experience that would greatly influence our direction with Tapping. It was so profound because it was something we ALL could relate to at some point in our young lives.
I’ll let Alex tell the story in his own words…
I remember sitting on the couch with my wife Karen, having finally gotten our three young kids to bed, and saying to her, “Nobody told us that it would be like this!” We were heartbroken about a conversation we’d just had with our oldest son Malakai…
After our two younger ones, Lucas and Olivia, were asleep, we’d had a conversation with Malakai, 6 years old at the time, where he’d told us that he was nervous and scared every day at dismissal about missing the bus.
The chaos of everyone getting their things together, along with the muffled sounds of the buses being called over the loudspeaker, was putting him into a panicked state every day.
As parents, we have a constant desire to protect our kids, to keep them safe, healthy and happy. But the reality of life makes this impossible, and thus keeps our nervous systems — to put it mildly — on edge. 🙂
So what do we do when our child comes home anxious about missing the bus, or upset about being left out of a game at recess, or nervous about doing poorly on a test, or any of the dozens of other events that can happen to upset our child and throw off their confidence, happiness, and ability to learn and grow?
There is one simple technique that I have found to be instrumental in rebalancing my children, and those whom I’ve shared this with, that has been scientifically proven to work… and that’s Tapping!
The reality is that our children are under more pressure and stress than ever before (as are we as adults!). The childhoods we remember… are not the same as the childhoods our children are currently experiencing.
This means that we as parents have a bigger responsibility than ever before to be there to help them as they move through the emotional landscape of growing up.
After listening to Malakai tell us about his end of day anxiety about possibly missing his bus, we knew that doing some Tapping would help. We asked him if he’d be willing to do the Tapping with us and he said yes!
We went through the Tapping process, focusing on how he was feeling every day at school during dismissal, and Tapping on each of the points he’d learned from the Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs book.
By the end of the process, he felt much better, and there was a clear difference in how he looked and talked about the dismissal. He went to bed easily after the Tapping and after that night, we gave it a few days before we brought it up again.
But one day after school as I walked him back from the bus stop, I asked him, “How’s dismissal going? Are you still nervous about it every day?” His response was just a shrug and a, “No, it doesn’t bother me anymore.”
SUCCESS!! With just a few minutes of Tapping, he released the stress and anxiety he dealt with every day since the dismissal.
I emailed his teacher that night, who was also keenly aware of his stress about the end of day routine. She confirmed that he was completely differently over the last few days.
These simple, yet extremely powerful shifts in our children’s experience, can be life-altering. Think about your own childhood for a minute… are there some negative emotions or experiences you wish you could have resolved from your childhood? I’d love to read your comments below.
Stress Relief for Children
One of the things I’m most proud of in sharing Tapping with the world is that we’re not just talking theory or solely doing things online – it’s actually getting Tapping to the places that matter!
And one of the best places to share Tapping is in schools, with kids who need it the most…
Watch that happen before your eyes in this powerful video:
Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs Book
Another place that matters is your own home. So be sure to pick up a copy of my brother Alex’s Tapping for kids book, “Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs: A Tapping Solution Children’s Story”.
It’s great for bedtime reading and even has a Tapping exercise in the back to help your kids go to sleep. 🙂
Amazon Reviews:
5 out of 5 stars: I love love love this book
I love love love this book. I have just started learning about Tapping and thought What a great idea to teach my 9-year-old to do it too. The book was a hit with her. She loved the story and animations as well. It made it so easy for her to learn how to Tap. I highly recommend it for every age level even adults. 🙂
5 out of 5 stars: Yes the little boy I purchased it for loves reading…
Yes, the little boy I purchased it for loves reading it and does the tapping along with it…his mother has found him reading quietly by himself a number of times. He is only four years old!!!
5 out of 5 stars: This is a great book for teaching the whole family relaxation and self…
This is a great book for teaching the whole family relaxation and self-care tools. With several pages of specific applications at the end. My 6-year old nephew got it for Christmas (from me:) and the whole family enjoys practicing Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs! So grateful for this book!
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