RAISING CONSCIOUS KIDS
have had a memorable, fun experience, it is much
easier for them to recall the concept’s importance
as a good feeling to experience and repeat.
My book, SUPERKID POWER GUIDEBOOK, available on Amazon.com, is filled with activities to introduce and reinforce concepts such as the topic of
cooperation in an easy, hands-on approach.
Techniques for Reinforcement
1. Allow times for children to be creative and in
charge of cooperation ideas. “Kaleigh, you could
think of something you want me to cooperate with
and invite me to join you.”
2. Be spontaneous in order to integrate its meaning into children’s lives, asking them good ways
to join together and cooperate if it’s putting away
dishes, counting marbles to put in a sack or helping each other with toy pick-up.
3. Create a song or jingle to sing and march to with
fun enthusiasm. Here is an example:
Cooperation Jingle
Cooperate, cooperate
We’re shaking hands.
Cooperate, cooperate
Give peace to the land.
4. Roleplay. Suggest becoming your child and your
child becoming you. Act out a cooperationincident
that didn’t turn out well. Make light of the situation
but discuss feelings, body sensations, etc. That act
out a situation that did reap success and compare
how differently you both felt, thoughts you had and
how much tension was involved or not involved in
your bodies. (Think simply on tension....tension
feels like tied up knots inside; relaxation feels like
soft sox.)
5. Here is a poem I wrote that can be read to children for reinforcement:
FROG COOPERATION
There once was a frog
Who did sadly say
“I want a good friend (“ribbet”...make sound effect)
With whom I can play.”
This frog, you see,
Always wanted HIS way;
So all the other frogs
Didn’t want him to play.
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The frog thought and thought
And felt his feelings, too.
He wanted friends to play with
So he decided what to do.
He knew it was important (“ribbet”)
If he wanted a playmate
To share with other frogs
And especially to cooperate.
So to change his behavior
And cooperate real well
He took turns and shared
Then others thought that was swell.
Cooperating with others (“ribbet”)
The frog knew to be
An important part of growing,
Having friends and being happy.
Janai Mestrovich 1982
Be Creative with Children
Ask children to create a story about cooperation
and favorite animal friends. Very often young children can relate through animals instead of directly
applying a concept to themselves. A puppet show
can be fun, too.
During the focus on cooperation, be sure to talk
about where you feel good inside (stomach or
shoulders, etc.) when you cooperate and make a
good choice. Ask children where they feel good
when they cooperate and where they feel bad
when no one is cooperating. Grounding the concept in the body instead of just being a thought in
the mind is a key to true integration and ownership
of the skill.
Every child has the potential to FEEL like a Superkid.
When children learn to value a concept such as cooperation, they build confidence and self-worth
because they know they are contributing to the
family or society. We are fortunate to know how to
help children become Superkids and bring greater
peace to the planet. Let’s help them know we need
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