Dragon and Puppet Shows
Why This Matters:
Children naturally face challenges in managing their feelings and behaviors in various situations. They might struggle to express their needs, react intensely to expectations, or test boundaries. As parents and caregivers, it's natural to feel frustrated by challenging behaviors. However, when children perceive anger or frustration directed at them, they often shut down, becoming more fearful, ashamed, or dysregulated, which can hinder their ability to learn.
Our program uses puppets to create a safe, engaging way for children to learn more effective responses. Puppets can act out challenging situations, demonstrating both unhelpful and helpful behaviors. This allows children to observe and critique the outcomes without feeling personally judged. This approach offers several key benefits:
- Impersonality: Puppets present behaviors impersonally, allowing children to gain perspective on actions without feeling targeted.
- Safe Consequences: Children see the consequences of different behaviors in a safe, low-stakes environment.
- Emotional Understanding: It helps children understand and accept their own emotions and impulses.
- Problem-Solving: Children are encouraged to think critically about how they would respond in similar situations.
- Positive Role Models: Puppets can model effective ways to navigate challenging situations. By using this method, students inhabit a supportive atmosphere that fosters learning and emotional growth. As children identify more appropriate responses, they are invited to practice them, often by showing the puppets "how it's done."