At the Treehouse, we are learning to Stick Together, Do No Hurts, and Have Fun! We have three simple rules that make a big difference! They are part of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). As a team, we are learning how trauma affects our children and how we can best work with them.
It starts with changing ourselves, our expectations, and recognizing our pet peeves. We start identifying our own emotions and what makes us angry or sad. We learn how to process our emotions and regulate ourselves so we can help our kids regulate when they may be frustrated or upset.
We have the privilege of acknowledging our kids struggles, feelings, and stories. We can listen to their triumphs and their hurts. We can celebrate with them, play with them, and learn with them.
We are making relationships! And isn’t that exactly what Jesus did?
So, things may look different around the Tree House from other kid's ministries. We may seem very positive in negative circumstances, because we know that playful re-engagement allows kids to “try again” and be successful in positive behaviors. You may see a lot of verbal affirmations and a ton of silliness. We know these help to quickly form great relationships that lead to long term learning. You may see us use a “magic mustache” or “blow soup” when a child is angry instead of time-out because we know that once a child is regulated, then they can have a real conversation about their choices and truly learn. We say “I love you” a lot, even when kids are making poor choices, because isn’t that what our gracious Lord said to us when we were at our worst?
So, come join us in the silly, goofy, fun relationship building that gives us the opportunity to share Jesus with our kids!
And if you want to learn more about TBRI check out this short video or read The Connected Child by Cross and Purvis.