I tried EFT with my three year old yesterday and had amazing results in one case, but would like some ideas for another.
We were in a store and he saw a furry hat up on a rack that terrified him. He was really focused on avoiding it. Then on the way out of the store, on the verge of tears he asked me to carry him when we had to pass it. So I picked him up and started doing EFT, repeating, "Even though you feel scared about the hat, you are okay." (That was the best I could come up with in the moment.) We approached where the furry hat was (we had to pass it to get out), and I could feel him relaxing with the EFT. So we walked right up to it and he was even willing to hold it. This really intense fear he had earlier just vanished.
I want to try to use EFT for going to sleep since he has always had a lot of trouble with going to sleep - this is his biggest issue, and I believe it's related to early infant trauma in the hospital and possibly food sensitivities (that were discovered at about a year old). Last night he was having a lot of difficulty (he starts to drift off and then bounces back into awareness, overcome with fear), so I tried the EFT but he wouldn't let me tap on him. So I did it on myself instead, repeating, "Even though you're having a hard time going to sleep, you are okay." He calmed and then I was able to do what may or may not be related - I sort of gently stroked the tapping points on him while repeating the phrase and he went to sleep finally. I could tell some really big things were surfacing for him, and I felt a little awkward trying to work in EFT while he was so "out of it."
Did I do this right? I guess I need help coming up with phrases - what would have been ideal? Also, maybe some ideas on what to do if he doesn't want me to tap oh him - is the gentle stroking useful?