On the Coast – Families Issue 99 I April/May 2019 | Page 9

Fun play
Day 6
Go for a walk and tell your child a story
about a special or funny thing they did
or said when they were little. If you walk
together as a family you can divide your
time and walk next to each child for a
while.
Day 7
Look at photos of your child together and
highlight how you felt about them and
what you have discovered about them
each phase of their life. Make sure you
give them feel good stories and positive
feedback about themselves.
Day 8
Give your child a compliment, something
you have noticed about them that you
value. It can be something such as “I liked
the way you showed kindness to your friend
today when you shared your snacks with her”.
Day 9
Have a loving eye stare competition
with your child. You will be surprised
by how much loving eye contact can
do for your relationship. Look for
moments to approve, smile and send love
through your eyes as many times as you
remember throughout the day.
Day 10
Play an emotion game.
Emotion game with smarties:
Put smarties in a cup. Explain to your
child that each colour represents an
emotion. You can write it down on a
piece of paper. For instance. Blue-sad,
to overall feelings of
Red-angry, Pink-
and laughter reduce
wellbeing. Laughter
surprised, Green-
shuts down the flight
jealous and Purple-
the level of the stress
fight response in the
happy. You take turns
hormones leading
brain and increase the
to collect 3 smarties
connection between
out of the cup. Then
to overall feelings
two people.
tell the other person
what makes you feel sad,
of wellbeing
Day 14
angry etc. If you have two
Have a pyjama day today.
red smarties, you must share
Today the whole family stay in their
two things that make you feel angry.
pyjamas and the kids are in control for
the day. It is best to pick a Saturday or
Day 11
Sunday as you might allocate a bit more
Have a pillow scream competition. It is
time to today. The children can decide
good to release all the built-up energy
what the family have for breakfast,
(for both the child and the parent). Then
lunch and dinner and have control for
do something relaxing together.
the entire morning or afternoon or even
the whole day if you have the time. Let
Day 12
them decide what they want to do. They
Write a letter or short note to your
can swap around the breakfast and
child with the things about them that
dinner and for this day only have desert
make them unique and special. You can
before lunch or dinner.
also ask a grandparent, uncle, or special
At the end of the two weeks you
friend to write letters and read it to
may find you and your child have a
them.
closer relationship. Children who feel
connected with their parents, tend to
Day 13
listen more. Don’t be surprised if they
Bake something together or show your
start opening up to you.
child how to make a meal,
Keep going as our children need
Or Play a game like Twister or any game
shared pleasure, laughter and touch
where laughter is a given.
every day to flourish, feel loved and to
Fun play and laughter reduce the
have that connection with you.
level of the stress hormones leading
Lindie Nell has a Master’s degree in Social Work. She is a trained Attachment therapist and Play
therapist. Lindie specialises in working with children who have experienced trauma and attachment
difficulties. Lindie also works with children with anxiety, behavioural problems and self-esteem issues as
well as supporting parents in their parenting. Contact Lindie on 0424 882 013, or visit her Facebook page
Lindie Nell (Child Therapist Central Coast)
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APRIL/MAY – ISSUE 99
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