A month's worth of activities!

What a lot of 'F' words! And thank you for spotting there are more than 4 'feeling families'
:lol: :dry: :whistle: :side: :evil:

Psychologist Robert Plutchik states that there are 8 basic emotions: joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, anticipation, anger, and disgust. Plutchik’s wheel of emotions illustrates these 8 basic emotions and the various ways they relate to one another, including which ones are opposites and which ones can easily turn into another one.
I found this article particularly interesting when researching this area:
positivepsychology.com/emotion-wheel/


As emotional literacy is at the heart of Protective Behaviours, alongside helping people reconnect with their physical feelings, finding ways to help people develop a language of feelings makes a difference - I'm reminded of the expression, 'name it to tame it', :whistle:

Day 27 Activity: Introducing Spike
In terms of the 7 PB Strategies, yesterday's activity highlighted how we can use One-Step Removed to develop our Language of Safety. Discovering and using new 'feelings words' helps people 'own' their feelings and have greater shared meaning with others in terms of being able to describe more precisely what the feeling/s is/are - not just feeling happy, sad, worried or angry. Today's activity however, goes even further in show-casing the 7 Strategies in action and was developed by Judith. It's one of my favourites and I ended up with my very own Spike! :woohoo:

This activity was originally designed for 3-4 year olds, however it could easily be adapted as at it's core is the question what does Spike need to feel safe? And I've been asking myself a very similar question recently: 'What do I need to feel safe and what do my family, my friends and my community need to feel safe?'
The picture below shows Spike's home and all the things that help him feel safer:

The children were invited to interact with Spike only after he felt safe enough to come out of his 'safe place' and they needed to ask permission before touching him or handling his possessions.

The things which helped Spike to feel safe, included his ‘teddy’ (a mini hedgehog), his snuggly cloth, his mother’s perfume, his brush, his bedtime story about a hedgehog, some tiny plasters and photos of his friends.
How many of the PB Strategies did Spike have in his box?

He also had a Bag of ‘problems’. These were objects wrapped up like presents each with a note (written on a disc of tree trunk) and wrapped in gift wrap.
The objects and problems were;
A toy car – “….there are lots of cars around.”
A little toy toilet – “…he doesn’t like flushing the toilet.”
A pair of wet children’s pants in a nappy sack – “….he wet his pants at nursery.”
A single red mitten – “….he lost one of his favourite mittens.”
A yellowy-green blob – “….he had a stomachache.”
A big torch with no batteries in – “…..it was dark and his torch wouldn’t work.”
And the children were then asked 'How could Spike keep himself feeling safe even if ......


Looking forward to hearing your solutions to Spike's problems - we will share the children's reponses tomorrow

Wondering how many of you have been tempted to get a Spike? A good friend of mine bought me a friend for Spike - his name is Prickles and he's not quite as cuddly looking! It was interesting introducing him to the children as their Unwritten Rules led them to assume he wasn't as friendly as Spike and it must have been him that 'stole' Spike's mitten!

We soon decided Prickles needed his own Personal Network - here's what it looked like


And this is what the children from Judith's group came up with in terms of how could Spike keep himself feeling safe even if.......
His torch was broken?
“He could say to his Mum and Dad he wants more batteries from the shop.”
“He could turn the big light on.”
“He could call his Mum with his mobile.”
“A Daddy help him…..it’s shouting and its Daddy come.” [child speaks Polish at home]
“He can put some more batteries in it…..he could ask his Mum or Dad for another torch.”

Flushing the toilet
“He could tell his Mum or Dad ‘I don’t like the flush!’ “
“He can go upstairs and get into his bed.”
“His Mummy can do it.”
“He can run away.”
“He can tell A……” [nursery worker]

He has a stomachache
“He can ask his Mum and Dad to make him better and have a drink of water.”
“He could go to the doctor’s.”
“He could have a biscuit, I think.”
“He could tell his Mum or his Dad.”
“He could put a plaster on his tummy.”
“Tell [teacher].”
“He could rub his belly…..and ask his Mum for a cuddle

Nanny’s yucky yellow peas
“He could ask for spaghetti.”
“He could say ‘I don’t like it!”
“He could say ‘I don’t want it….Can I have chips?...’ “
He might say ‘I don’t like the dinner…..can you please get me some more dinner?”
“He could put them in the bin and eat some leaves.”

Wets his pants
“He could tell A or R.” [nursery staff]
“He could go and get his bag and change.”
“He could buy some new pants.”
“He has to ask someone to change him to other clothes.”
“He can put them in the bin and buy new pants.”
He could tell A….he could ask his friends ‘Please can you go to a teacher?”

Lost a favourite mitten
“He could go with the Mummy hedgehog to buy new ones up town.”
“He can tell O and R and M.” [nursery staff]
“He could put his hand in his pocket.”
“His Mum could help him find it.”

Lots of cars
“He could wait…and then cross.”
“He could go back into his box and then someone could carry it across the road.”
“He needs to press the button that stays STOP…..he needs to hold somebody’s hand.”

The sooner we enable children to practise free-thinking the more creative they will be about finding solutions and evaluating which feel safer to them and others.
TY Judith for inspiring me to have my own hedgehog family - it's currently on loan to another pre-school setting

Day 28 Activity: The Invisible String
We all experience grief and loss and it can feel really hard to talk about this, especially with children. However, by talking about it we can help process their feelings and identify what they need to feel safer.
Ann has recently reviewed The Invisible String by Patrice Karst and shares this review with you now


With the prospect of children returning to school on the horizon, spending time now connecting by either an 'Invisible String' or something else* can help people feel safer.
* I remember my youngest son taking a handkerchief with a squirt of my perfume on it to school, so when he felt the need he could take it out of his pocket and have a sniff!

Day 29 Activity: Making an 'invisible String' visible
Today's activity builds on yesterday's story of connection and provides an opportunity to make something to represent this.
Many thanks to Ann for sharing the Worry Stones page from her new PB Toolkit and to Judith for making the Tizz's Special Stones episode of Tizz Time :side:
What will you make today?

Yesterday's activity reminded me of a 'Worry Pouch' made for me by a good friend and retired PB trainer, Trish.
To make one, take a piece of cloth and make it as circular as you can. Take 5 stones you like the feel of and then, using the 'network qualities' guide match a stone to a person you would choose to talk with about anything, even if it feels awful or small'. (You could write their name on the stone or use some other way of indicating which stone represents which network person). Then put the stones in the middle of your circular cloth, bunch the cloth around them and tie at the top to make a pouch small enough to fit in your pocket, bag or leave in a safe place.
Here's the one Trish 'gifted' me


And for those of you feeling curious about Ann's new PB toolkit, please contact Ann via Ann@protectivebehaviourstraning.co.uk - here's what it looks like: