by Patsy Anthony, Third and Fourth Grade Teacher

It's time to go back to school… 

Those words can elicit a variety of emotions among children. 

Unfortunately, not all of those emotions are positive.

What better time to introduce meridian tapping to your children than right now, during their first few weeks of school?

I can still remember my first day of kindergarten, looking around for my mother, realizing that she had left me in a new, unfamiliar environment, and attempting to be as brave as possible because I didn't want my best friend to see me crying. That was forty-seven years ago.

All children have worries about what their new school year may bring. They experience separation anxiety as well as anxieties about their new teachers and friendships. As they grow older, they worry about course requirements, social issues, academic abilities and homework load. At the university level, they often experience a great deal of stress with the added components of financial worries and concerns about leaving home for the first time.

As a teacher, I witness back to school "jitters" every September.

One of the most common concerns among the children I teach is that they will be placed in a classroom without their friends. As parents, often our first thought is to respond to those concerns with a positive, encouraging comment such as, "Oh, don't worry, you'll make new friends!"  But as well intentioned as such a comment may be, it usually does very little to alleviate the worry. 

We all want to send our kids off to school feeling safe, confident and happy. With tapping, we have the perfect tool at our fingertips. If you haven't already introduced meridian tapping to your children, right now is a great time to start.

First, talk with your children about their worries in a friendly, comforting way. Acknowledge their feelings and let them know about a technique which has helped you with your own fears and worries.

Teach your children to tap on their karate chop point while you help them with a simple setup statement such as:

"Even though I don't want to go back to school because I'm afraid that my new teacher will be really strict (or "mean" or "cross when I don’t do things right")… and I'm worried that I won't have any friends in my class … I am still an awesome kid!"

Have your child keep tapping. 

I finish each setup statement with the words, "I am still an awesome kid!" because it inevitably brings smiles to the children's faces. But you can choose any words that feel right to you. 

After the setup statement, continue tapping with your child about specific concerns until you notice a shift in their energy. They can continue to tap on their karate chop spot if that’s the easiest for them to do, or you can lead them to tap on each of the spots in the short form of tapping. 

You may notice a smile, a sigh or a yawn as your child releases their fears and other negative emotions. Introduce a positive restatement or two at this point to help your child feel more peaceful, empowered and perhaps even excited about their new school year. Humor works especially well with children once their negative emotions begin to shift. 

 

Here is a sample of the kind of tapping sequence you can use: 

Top of Head:  I don't want to go back to school! 

Eyebrow:  I wish summer would last forever… 

Side of Eye:  I'm worried about going into Grade 3… 

Under Eye:  What if my teacher is really mean? 

Under Nose:  What if she gives lots of homework?  I hate homework! 

Under Mouth:  What if none of my friends are in my new class? 

Collarbone:  I had such a great class last year… 

Under Arm:  I'm sure this year won't be any fun at all…(smile)  

Top of Head:  Although… in Grade Three we do get to go skiing… 

Eyebrow:   And I can join the Marathon Club this year…. 

Side of Eye:  And I'm looking forward to using my new school supplies and wearing my new clothes to school… 

Under Eye:  Maybe my Grade Three teacher won't be so bad after all… 

Under Nose:  Last year I worried about Grade Two and it turned out to be great… 

Under Mouth:  I can't wait to see my friends again… 

Collarbone:  I'm pretty sure at least somebody I like will be in my class… 

Under Arm:  And I've got you, (Mom or Dad, or whoever) to help me with my homework! 

Karate Chop:  So… even if I am feeling a bit nervous about going back to school and I would much rather stay at home forever, I am still an awesome kid!

It is essential that you give your child plenty of time to tap until their worries completely dissolve. After that they can continue to tap while you shift their thoughts to the more positive aspects of school – assuming you can think of some:-) 

Of course every child is different. Your child may express feelings which will surprise you. One young student I know informed her mother after her first day of kindergarten that she was never going back to school again because the dolls there were all old and ugly.  

What an interesting issue to tap about! 

I learned the EFT method, an excellent form of meridian tapping, a few years ago.  Since then, I have used EFT to heal my Crohn's Disease, overcome severe knee pain due to a lack of cartilage, and alleviate a long standing fear of flying. I only wish that I had known about tapping when my children were young. 

If I could do it all over again I would go back to a time when my son and daughter were toddlers and make tapping a part of their nightly bedtime routine. Then, by the time they had entered kindergarten, my children would have had a tool at their fingertips which would have allowed them to tap away their negative emotions, as well as to always know that whatever their worries and fears, whatever problems they faced while growing up, they were still awesome kids. 

Regardless of what age your children are, as you get ready to pack lunches, purchase school supplies, and buy new fall clothes this September, take some time to talk with your children about their new school year, listen to their worries, respond to those worries with love and understanding, and give them the gift of tapping – a skill they can use for the rest of their lives.  

Now is the perfect time to teach your children how to tap!

Patsy Anthony