The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), commonly referred to as “tapping,” is a wonderful self-help tool for children, easy to learn and simple to apply. In teaching EFT to children, encourage them to tap whenever they’re feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. Read on to learn more about EFT tapping therapy for kids and how it can help the children in your life.
What is EFT tapping?
Before teaching children EFT tapping, you should familiarize yourself with the technique. EFT combines elements of cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, and acupressure. Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, but instead of needles going into the skin, light pressure is applied to the body’s meridian points by gently tapping with the fingertips on specific locations on the body. This repeated tapping is done while concentrating on emotional issues or voicing them.
How does EFT tapping work?
So how does EFT tapping therapy for kids work? Whenever a child is upset, their body’s stress response is activated. Tapping specific energy points on the head and upper body alleviates that stress response. By slowing the response, the child is able to calm down, think more clearly, and feel better. It might sound too simple, but teaching children EFT tapping gives them a self-help tool that is always right at their own fingertips.
Why should you teach children EFT tapping?
EFT tapping therapy for kids helps them get a better handle on their emotions so they can prevent themselves from getting overwhelmed and can calm down more quickly if they do. Teaching children EFT tapping is also very easy because the technique is so simple, and tapping is a fun way to help them release and experience feelings that are troubling them.
Children are generally more in tune with their emotions and more expressive than adults, but they often struggle to verbalize what it is they’re feeling and to understand why they’re feeling that way. EFT tapping therapy for kids helps them do both. In addition, children don’t have as many years as adults of stored unresolved emotions, so they can usually resolve their issues much more quickly. Sometimes just a single tapping session is able to provide them with all the relief they need.
What to keep in mind
If you plan on teaching children EFT tapping, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you need to establish trust with a child because it’s important that they feel safe when trying this new technique and comfortable enough to share their feelings if they choose.
Second, tell them EFT is something that can help them feel better and then ask them if they want to try it, rather than you telling them to do it. Continue only if you get a yes. If the answer is no, tell them that’s okay and go on to something else; be sure not to make them feel bad about refusing.
Third, rather than having kids tap all over their body without direction, show them where on their body to tap. When teaching EFT tapping therapy for kids, it is helpful to have a stuffed animal, doll, or action figure with you so you can point to the meridian points on the toy. (There is a product called a TappyBear that has the points marked; kids love these stuffed teddy bears!) Tapping on your own body while the child taps on theirs also helps them learn the points.
Fourth, they can verbalize the emotional issues they are concentrating on while tapping or they can just think about them without speaking if they prefer. Tap with them, on your own body. This helps them stay focused and it’s fun to do it together. You can ask them questions about how they are feeling physically and mentally, but if they don’t want to talk, that’s fine. EFT tapping therapy for kids works with or without talking.
Lastly, let them know they can use this technique on their own whenever they feel upset, worried, afraid, lonely, mad, sad, or any other time they want to calm down.
Teaching children EFT tapping can benefit them in a number of different ways, but EFT tapping can help you as well! Learn more alternative medicine practices from Dawson Church PhD. by listening to his Podcast, reading more of his Blogs, or meeting him in person at one of his upcoming Events! Your kids and you can finally live up to your full happiness potential with the help of Dawson, so check out your options with UpLife today!
