I'd like to share with you my recent experience introducing EFTtm with Tappy Bear to a group of 12 K-4th grade students. I lead a "Peaceful Playground" after-school, once a week activity at a local public elementary school. This is an optional program, which a child commits to for the entire school year. Our overall goal is to find ways to bring more joy and less conflict into their playground time, a time at many elementary schools that is less than safe and welcoming for many students.

EFTtm was the second peace-making tool I introduced. I began the semester by teaching the children how to use a talking stick, followed by each student making their own to take home and use with family and friends. During lunch recess I also encourage them to use this tool to resolve differences.

Subsequently, for several weeks, I then brought my Tappy Bear to class, beginning each class with an EFT session, such as:

"Even though we are feeling so fidgety this afternoon, we can hardly sit in circle, we are awesome kids!"

"Even though I'm not sure I want to be here. I'd rather be outside playing soccer, I'm an awesome kid…"

"Even though I know we're about to do something fun, and I need to stay put for just a few minutes to find out how to do today's project, I feel so antsy…"

If a particular child had a burning issue upon getting to class, we would address that issue, with everyone tapping for the child with the problem.

By introducing EFT through Tappy Bear with these elementary age children, I found I was able to get their full attention quite easily. Of course, with young ones, I make a big fuss about the under-the-arm point, allowing them to decide whether doing it makes me look like a monkey or a chicken. And I take great care both at the beginning and whenever we practice, to emphasize being gentle with your tapping, especially around the eyes. So, after a couple of weeks, I simply asked the children if they would like to have Tappy Bears of their own to take home and use every day. To my delight and surprise (we only do projects in this group with TOTAL CONSENSUS), everyone wanted to do this. And so, the following week our craft project was to make our own Tappy Bears. With the generosity of the non-profit that oversees this program, we procured the new bears. I simply picked up some colored fuzzy balls and tacky glue, and we were set. Older children helped younger, and by the end of an hour, everyone had a Tappy Bear to take home.

The following week, I asked my students whether or not anyone had actually used their Tappy Bears. I had already spoken to them of the special benefit one can get by tapping away any of the day's leftover icky feelings before bed. I had also sent home a couple of newsletters to parents, sharing what was going on in class, inviting dialogue, and directing them to www.emofree.com.

Every child in the group spoke of using Tappy Bear and EFT at bedtime, some every night, others just once or twice. I found it most interesting that when I asked if anyone wanted to share something they had tapped away, no one volunteered. The oldest in the group actually said it was too personal.

Since that 4th week, we have used EFT in class for whatever comes up: for both negative states, emotional and physical, as well as for peak performance.

We ended the preholiday semester by inviting parents and siblings in for a ½ hour EFt demonstration. Several 3rd and 4th graders volunteered to lead the sessions, with me helping with set ups, and them directing the sequence portion of the demo. We had to tap for nervousness before our guests showed up; had a bit of stage fright. That tapped away, my students were amazing in their ability to lead the group through the short sequence. And every issue we tapped on (turned out the siblings had all kinds of bodily injury for us to work on) was either considerably improved or totally relieved in just 2 or 3 rounds.

Personally, I have been longing to bring EFT to more children, educators and families for a long time. What I am learning this year is that introducing it through the younger children is thus far my most effective way of truly making it a daily tool. When I have introduced EFT to adults, when I follow up, very few actually take it and run with it. Somehow, we adults are so busy, we tend to make it a priority not for today but for tomorrow. My younger students, on the other hand, are eager to incorporate EFT into their daily lives. And my hope is that not only will their families become interested, but that they can also teach peers how to tap and in how many situations it can be helpful.

In closing, let me relate a story a mom told me that last class in mid December. She came up to me after class and said:

"I've been meaning to tell you this. My son (our one kdg student) was having a melt down last weekend. When he gets in these states, I have to give him time outs in his room, because he is so unworkable. Usually it takes a long time for him to calm down. Well, this time, he calls from his room, still crying and gasping, "mom, where is my Tappy Bear?". I called back, "I don't know. For a couple of minutes he was very upset he couldn't find it. Finally it got quiet. I went to his door and peeked in, and I couldn't believe it. He was holding another teddy bear, tapping on his EFT points, and CALMING HIMSELF DOWN! I was amazed and just had to tell you!"

I am sharing this entire story in order to inspire others with EFT skills to simply offer it even to your youngest clients, students, friends' children. I feel that by respecting the inner knowing of young children, their natural ability to accept into their lives what is truly healing, we can spread the practice of EFT much faster than waiting for their adult caretakers to get on board. At least, for the past year, this has been my personal experience.

If you have questions regarding interfacing with public schools as a layperson, I'd be delighted to share with you how I was invited in. I am also available to coach teachers, parents, grandparents, all caregivers of children in introducing and problem solving family issues with EFT.