Page 38 - Feel Good Chemicals
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Positive Strokes
Helping children understand the level of noticing they need & patterns of
seeking it is the first step to helping them meet their need in more positive ways.
Strokes = unit of recognition
Warm fuzzy positive strokes Cold, prickly negative strokes
▪ We all need to feel noticed. Some need more than others to feel ok.
▪ We can be noticed in good (warm fuzzies) or negative (cold pricklies) ways.
▪ The more you give, the more you get – good or bad!
▪ Warm fuzzies can be earned (for doing well) but the best are FREE – just for being us.
▪ Knowing what ‘strokes’ we need puts us in control – we can find ways to receive them
that are good for everyone.
Adapted from Eric Berne, Transactional Analysis & Claude Steiner – The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale
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