The Full Story
We help children
build healthy relationships
When kids have healthy relationships with their parents, siblings, & peers, they can navigate the social world with greater ease and comfort. They can manage tough scenarios, bounce back from setbacks, self-advocate, perspective-take to build compassion, and surround themselves with positive influences and people who "fill their bucket." Making and maintaining friendships can be hard with some kids. Learning social skills and practicing them with a skilled occupational therapist can help them gain knowledge and comfort to navigate their social worlds.
How does OT help build
healthy relationships?
At Rooted, we know that not all kids know how to make and keep friends. Some need more guidance with reading non-verbal cues, modeling, and encouragement. First, skills are worked on through fun games and interactive scenarios. Then, we give the group a task that they need to accomplish together like: going on a scavenger hunt, building a stick fort, reading a map for treasure, creating an obstacle course, making a campfire, or designing a group art project, for example. Each child works on their individual social goals and is given time to reflect on their progress.
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Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence (EI) Principles guide us at Rooted to support children's social development.
Goleman's Categories of Emotional Intelligence:
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Self-awareness: being able to identify your own emotions and how they work. Being conscious of how you respond to certain scenarios and that which sets you off course.
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Self-regulation: your ability not just to know your emotions, but manage them. Knowing how to handle your emotions as they arise and anticipating how you'll manage them.
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Motivation: managing your own motivation and figuring out how to start or continue tasks because you choose to for yourself, not just for others.
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Empathy: being aware of the emotions of others and how they express them. Knowing the signs of someone's comfort versus discomfort, and other states of emotion.
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Socialization: ability to steer relationships and navigate social situations. Being able to get where you want to be with people such as: sharing ideas, spending time with them, or managing conflicts.
