I like to get creative in my coaching sessions with children, particularly if they are interested in drawing and writing. Sometimes writing or drawing whilst we are talking helps children to concentrate but also keeps their fingers busy and stops them from fidgeting. It is also good for them to make notes about what we are discussing and the key messages that I want them to take away from the session.
The notes then leave visual cues for the child to remind them of the discussion and it can really help motivate children to have something to look at if their strategies are down on paper.
Visual Cues Can Really Help Children
Sometimes I suggest that they create a wall poster with a few words on it that they can display in their bedroom. It might be a poster about them, communication ideas, a change of behaviour or some great information on friendships. It doesn’t really matter what the subject area is but the poster will remind them of our coaching session and it can help promote the suggested actions they could take.
Posters can also remind children who they really are. We often create a collage (similar to a vision board) of what values and traits the child represents and wants to achieve, and actions they want to remember. Not all children are visual learners but I think posters and collages still work. I encourage the children to sometimes use drawings instead of words, and make them humorous so that they remember in a fun way the tools and strategies they need to use. They can laugh at their poster as well as remind themselves of the more serious action.
Adults use visual cues like vision boards and post-it notes at work, so why not use them with children? I once got a child to remember to brush their teeth by having a post-it above their bed and it worked. It doesn’t take long to create a visual prompt or poster and it can lead to significant improvements in attitude and behaviour, so why not give it a go?!
For more information and tools you can use with your children please feel free to get in touch with me or have a read of The Parent’s Toolkit.
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