We strive to connect with our kids as we teach them new skills.  Before we can take away a survival skill, we need to replace it with a new one. One of the things we often suggest to families is for them to do family nurture group in their home. Here’s how you can get started:

Family Rules: Stick Together, No Hurts, Have Fun

Things to help you stay regulated: chewing gum, sucking on a sucker, playing with a fidget, holding a weighted object, magic mustache, chair/floor push-ups

Format for Nurture Groups

1. Review Rules

2. Family Check-in – Ask a question and let everyone take turns answering. (pick one or make one up)

– Best part of the day/worst part of the day (do both)
– If I could be any animal I would be?
– Silliest thing I have ever done…
– When I grow up I want to be (parents answer from when you were a kid or dream job)

3. Nurture – take turns giving and receiving nurture. Each person asks another person if he/she can do one of the following for them:

– Put a band-aid on a hurt (emotional hurt could be symbolized by band-aid on the heart)
– Back/foot massage
– Lotion on hands
– Weather report

4. Fun With Teaching

– wrong way/right way- either using puppets or acting out show the “wrong way” and the “right way” to do something. For example, what is the wrong way to respond when mom/dad asks you to clean your room? What is the right way? What is the wrong way/right way to act when told you can’t do something you want to do? Pick some things that you see your family doing/saying often and use this part to practice doing them right/wrong in a silly exaggerated way!
– Feelings- take turns talking about feelings by tossing or rolling a ball and sharing something that makes you sad, disappointed, frustrated..etc to teach naming feelings

5. Feeding – Take turns feeding each other (candy, pretzels, anything small and yummy)

6. Closure – Close by reviewing the rules and then praying and reading a scripture together