Families all around the world benefit greatly from using tapping daily.

I invite children and young people to post their stories here so that

 others can share the discovering and exploring process.

Help others to grow by sharing your experience.

As far as I am concerned no one is too young when it comes

to sharing the gift of EFT.

Whilst I wait to hear from any young tappers, I have posted below some

 ideas and tips for those of us still learning (that includes all of us ! ).

• The applications of tapping for the family are endless – for issues around self worth, behaviour, self esteem, confidence, phobias, relationships, homework, peers, boundaries, trauma and physical issues that have some emotional root. All family members can benefit for free and there are no side effects.

• Tapping can start for your family pre-birth. Why not? But fear not if you beyond that stage, you can pick up the techniques and choose to introduce them as a lifestyle choice at any stage.

• Encourage your children to tap daily as part of a family routine. Even though we all lead busy lives, a few of rounds each day can be really fun. A morning routine is great although many families will feel that there is no time. It is however, surprising how much time children can fill by not cooperating both morning and night time.

Would you be willing to trade a few quality minutes tapping together in 

• It’s easy to make up game, laugh, sing whilst you tap and you can share news of the highs and lows of the day whilst rebalancing your energy system.

• Start the day on a positive note with the Tapping Tune (contact details below). It’s a great set up for the day, it takes about 90 seconds to complete. Not only can the whole family balance their energy systems, you can’t help but feel happy and everyone is set up to attract positive energy from the day. Everyone you encounter will benefit from your actions.

• Children absorb the example, language and skills all around them. Perhaps you cannot influence what goes on outside the home, but that’s not the case in your home. Let your children experience tapping by example. Let them see you use tapping without inviting them to join in. It is human nature that you desire something that is a little out of your reach more than when it is shoved under your nose for free. Let them ask (if they are old enough) “What’s that?”
• Tapping can become their lifestyle choice that they can enjoy, cherish and benefit from every day.

• Children will absorb new information much more readily, when you, and they, are free of overwhelming feelings. When they seek help, tap to reduce emotional intensity first before attempting to deal with the underlying problem. It may then be appropriate to continue tapping for what’s going on underneath. If it is not a good time/ situation than their issues could be gently worked through when there is quiet and peace.

• There is no need to tap all the points of a basic round. After a bit of practice children usually have a couple of points that are their favourites and are likely to be the ones that your child responds to best. Trust their intuition. Children are really much more intuitive than most of us adults.

• Create a settling down ritual so that you and your children can tap and for the positive and negative events of the day. Bedtime is also often a time when children will worry about something looming, Ah the test, the big match, my teacher may be mad at me because……. You can help your child to gently tap using the basic recipe and adding appropriate phrases like “I choose to feel calm ...I think she likes me really ...  I usually do OK and I’ll just try my best. “ Children reframe with ease.

• In situations where you are feeling a negative emotion about your child and you would like them to change, guess who needs to tap first? Whether you are feeling angry, mad, frustrated, guilty you are not likely to be able to draw on your most productive parenting skills. Besides which, the likelihood of being able to entice your child to tap is also low. My advice is to withdraw from the conflict and tap to help remove your disrupted energy and then you are in a better position to review the best way forward.

• Temper for all children and especially at the toddler/preschool stage is hard for all concerned. As I said, it is important that you are remain calm or regain calm yourself first before you can objectively help this overload of emotion set before you. When you are ready then, get to their level (crouch if needs be) and whilst gently holding a hand tap on the friendly point (karate chop point) Words are not necessary straight away if the child is tuned into their issue anyway. It can be enough that you are just calmly there for them and not having an adult tantrum beside them!  

• Waking up during the night can be a really scary time for children, especially with bad dreams and terrors. If you can pop them back into bed, then tuck and tap, the speed at which the child can be settled is often surprising. “Even though the dream made me scared, you are a great boy.”

• Tapping quietly with your child at a time when there is no conflict is an ideal opportunity to identify the root of their larger niggling issues. To set the scene, encourage your children to tap along with you and invite them to help you with real issue. For example a six year old will be able to identify with mad feelings because someone upset you at work. Empower you child to help you feel differently. Done skillfully, you will have a very proud child before you as they have genuinely helped their parent feel good. Children really thrive from this kind of result. Don’t forget to thank them for their help.
• If you still have a willing participant in front of you, then invite them to share with you something that is bothering them. Don’t push it if they are not ready or had enough for now. Better to leave it for another time rather than forcing the issue.

• For older children in your family, there is a very real need and benefit for tapping. Some of my most persistent tappers are perhaps surprisingly in the young adult age group. Their emotional issues can often leave them feeling isolated and misunderstood. Once they have discovered how it can really work for them they are delighted. The timing of introducing the techniques needs careful thought. By practicing tapping regularly at quieter times they are more likely to willingly tap to resolve a problem when it arises. Feelings around negative behaviour, temper and physical aspects can be scary for all concerned and older children really don’t wish to hang onto lousy feelings than can loom at this age. Sometimes I use my Access cards at the start of the process to help young people communicate their feelings while minimizing any shame, embarrassment or guilt they may have about opening up. 

                                                                                               Article from TAP with ME programme c2007   www.eftworld.co.uk

Take this opportunity to encourage those children and young people around you who tap to post their news here. Now is the time to let the eft4kids site shine from contributions for our next generation. No contribution is too short. No contributor too young.

I look forward to hearing from my favourite bunch.

Thanks

Christine