Teach Kids How to Practice Flexibility
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Now that kids are home for longer periods of time, it is a wonderful time to teach them one particular executive function skill: Flexibility.
One of the ways to teach kids how to practice flexibility is through playing old school games in therapy (like Operation)
Skills like: ️
1. Being Adaptable: What do you do when you can't get that piece out without setting off the buzzer?
2. Learning how to Reset: Now you have set off the buzzer, what do you do next time? What strategy will you use?
3. Re-frame the Problem: What can you learn from this challenge?
4. Get Unstuck: Use a different strategy (since the one you are currently using leads to more buzzing)
5. Develop your Feelings Vocabulary: Use your words, not your behaviors, to express how you feel ("I'm frustrated I can't get this piece out" or "I'm disappointed I lost the game").
Then, encourage them to generalize these skills to various situations with different people.
Didn't know you could learn so much from a game of Operation?
What are some ways YOU have taught your kids to be more flexible?