DR. PLAYWELL'S PLAY THERAPY NEWSLETTER
Volume 5, Issue 2
Dear Friends,
In this issue, you'll find three simple techniques that show how easy it is to connect with children using their own "secret language." The first technique is a game that helps children understand the importance of being positive and cooperative. Then I'd like you to think about how the music that surrounds children every day can affect their lives for better -- or worse. Finally, I'll talk about how simple lunch notes and cards can help parents connect with their children, while encouraging them to think about their actions and values.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter!
Yours truly,
Dr. Playwell
(a.k.a.
Dr. Lawrence Shapiro)
Helping Children Say "Yes!"
Unfortunately the word "no" is the favorite word of many children. Even when adults make simple requests, children with behavioral problems often say no. It is almost as if they have gotten into the habit of saying no, without even thinking about what they are responding to, much less about the consequences of their negative reactions.
I designed the "Yes" Coin Game to help children understand that some decisions only have one answer: yes.
To play, I tape a piece of paper with the word "yes" to both sides of a coin. Next, I write down several questions where the only response should be "yes," such as:
- Is the sky above us?
- Will the sun rise tomorrow morning?
- Should you always have good manners?
- Should you pick up your toys and books when asked?
I flip my coin -- and make sure that I am right!
Then, I ask children to write their own lists of ten questions that only have a "yes" answer, guiding them to include at least five statements that have to do with important rules. I then ask them to flip the "yes" coin to make sure that they have written good statements. This simple game helps children get into the habit of saying yes, rather than no.
The Power Of Music
Industrial psychologists have known for decades that music can be used to alter a person's behavior. In any supermarket or mall, you are likely to hear slow, soothing background music or familiar tunes that make you want to hum along without even realizing it.
Why do store managers all seem to play the same type of music? Because they want you to stay in their store and shop! Slow music slows you down; faster music speeds you up. A research study that played music of different speeds in a restaurant found that customers tend to chew to the beat, eating much faster (and finishing their meals more quickly) when the music was lively.
Teachers of young children also use music effectively to influence the mood and behavior of their students. They play quiet music when it is time to take a nap and lively music when they want children to put away their toys or art materials and get in line. Experienced teachers have certain songs that they play for certain activities every day. Playing the song not only sets the tempo for the activity, but also triggers the child's memory of what he is supposed to do.
Music can have a detrimental effect on children and adolescents, as well. Whether or not you are a fan of hard rock or rap music, you should recognize that this kind of music raises the blood pressure and produces biochemicals (catecholamines) that are associated with anger and irritability. Many programs that teach anger control to teens limit listening to this type of music, because it appears to be a physiologic primer that keeps teens in a heightened state.
Some of the ways that music has been used to motivate children towards specific behaviors include:
- Relaxing music to calm children before doing homework
- Marching music to get children to finish what they are doing and line up
- Songs with a value-related message to inspire good behavior towards others
Make a list of the music or songs that could be used to help children and see if you can find ways to make music a positive influence on their daily lives.
Use Lunch Notes to Help Children Think Positive Thoughts
Putting a note in a child's lunchbox has become a popular way for parents to encourage their children to have a positive attitude in school. Typically, these notes include words of encouragement and support, such as:
- "Reach for the stars."
- "Just try as hard as you can and that will be enough."
- "I'm always thinking of you."
Older children (and adults) appreciate meaningful quotes. Here are some of my favorites on motivation and success:
"...meet each other with a smile when it is difficult to smile."
-Mother Teresa
"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
-Mark Twain
"Of one thing I am certain, the body is not the measure of healing -- peace is the measure."
-George Melton
"Laughter is inner jogging."
-Norman Cousins
"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
-Benjamin Franklin
"Eighty percent of success is showing up."
--Woody Allen
FEATURED RESOURCE: THE STOP, RELAX & THINK COLLECTION
If you work with children who have behavioral problems, you'll want to own this collection. It offers dozens of ways to interest and engage hard-to-reach children, with activities to help them in individual or group counseling, the classroom, or the home. The collection features...
The Stop, Relax And Think Game
In this ever-popular board game, active impulsive children learn motor control, relaxation skills, how to express their feelings, and how to problem-solve.
The Stop, Relax, & Think Workbook
This workbook contains more than 60 paper and pencil activities that teach children such important skills as thinking about consequences, staying focused and completing a task, engaging in quiet activities without disturbing others, and more.
The Stop, Relax, & Think Card Game
In this card game, players are dealt Stop, Relax & Think cards, as well as Stressed Out, Confused, and Discouraged cards. As they acquire more cards, they must choose different self-control skills, and they learn the value of patience and cooperating with others to achieve a goal.
The Stop, Relax & Think Scriptbook
In this uniquely designed book, children can practice what to say and how to act in eight different scenarios common to children with behavioral problems.
The Stop, Relax & Think Ball
This fun and educational ball teaches children to control their impulsivity by helping them understand and control their actions
When you order the collection, you'll also get a free canvas carrying bag, regularly priced at $19.95. With this roomy, sturdy bag, you can easily store your materials or carry them to different settings.
To find out how you can purchase this collection of powerful counseling tools,
click here!
LOOKING FOR HANDS-ON COUNSELING TOOLS?
Visit the
Guidance Channel Shopping Mall! There you will find thousands of resources, many of them national and international award-winners, including reproducible handouts, therapeutic games, multimedia programs, videos, curricula, prevention-awareness items and much more. Be sure to check out our online
Childswork/Childsplay catalog, as well as our
At-Risk Resources and
Wellness Reproductions online catalogs, for innovative tools to address the social and emotional needs of your clients.
ABOUT DR. SHAPIRO
Lawrence E. Shapiro, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized expert in short-term therapy with children and is particularly known for his innovative play-oriented techniques. He has written over two dozen books and created over forty therapeutic games.
Dr. Shapiro received his undergraduate degree from New York University in 1970, with a major in psychology. He received a Masters Degree in Counseling from the Bank St. College of Education in 1974 and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1977 in School and Child Psychology.
In 1978 Dr. Shapiro became the director of The National Children's Center in Washington, D.C., a school for multi-handicapped children. It was during this period that he began inventing non-traditional psychotherapeutic techniques for children who were resistant to the various "talking" therapies popular at the time.
In 1985 Dr. Shapiro founded the
Childswork/Childsplay catalog and publishing company, which has become one of the nation's leading distributors of psychologically oriented toys and games.
Dr. Shapiro's parenting book,
How to Raise a Child with a High EQ: A Parents' Guide To Emotional Intelligence (HarperCollins, 1998), has been translated into over fifteen languages. His most recent parenting book,
An Ounce of Prevention: How to Stop Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Problems Before They Start (HarperCollins, 2000), has also been met with wide critical acclaim.
Dr. Shapiro is also a professional speaker known for his entertaining and informative seminars. He lectures more than thirty times a year to parents, teachers and counselors.
Dr. Shapiro has appeared on many national TV shows, including the
Weekend Today Show,
MSNBC, and
Fox News. His innovative work has also been featured in dozens of newspapers, including
The Washington Post,
The Boston Globe and
The L. A. Times.
Dr. Shapiro's most popular published works include the following:
Books
Games
For more information the other play therapy tools created by Dr. Shapiro, check out the
Childswork/Childsplay catalog in The Guidance Channel Shopping Mall. To learn more about Dr. Shapiro's workshops, visit
www.play2grow.com.
FOR ADDITIONAL NEWSLETTERS...
If you've found
Dr. Playwell's Newsletter useful and informative, you may also be interested in subscribing to some of our other newsletters.
- The Guidance Channel Zine is a monthly online magazine that includes interviews, website reviews, statistics and articles by many national organizations such as the National Association of School Psychologists, the American School Counselor Association and National S.A.V.E. (Students Against Violence Everywhere).
-
The Counselor's Classroom is one-of-a-kind, professional development tool offering weekly lessons on innovative techniques specifically designed for today's school counselor.
-
FYI From Wellness offers practical tips and suggestions for use in the clinic or classroom written by professionals from a variety of disciplines.
-
The Red Ribbon Resources Newsletter offers ideas, tips, and inspiration to help you make your Red Ribbon Week celebrations even more successful.
-
The National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign Newsletter offers information and resources to help you plan activities for National Youth Violence Prevention Week, highlights from press coverage of the campaign, reports on events around the week, suggestions for networking with other violence prevention advocates across the country, and more!
-
You can learn about late-breaking developments in educational standards, funding, research, legal matters and other issues related to proven-effective programs and their administration and evaluation through the ProvenEffective.com Newsletter.. Our editors search hundreds of national, statewide and local publications, websites and other sources of important information on this critical topic. You'll be among the first to know!
To subscribe to these newsletters,
click here!
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