Page 35 - Meeting with Children Book

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puppy? or ask the puppy “Hey puppy, how come you
can’t sleep? The child will likely expand the metaphor.
At the surface of this metaphor there is a character in
distress and he is seeking a potential helper.

Children’s stories about their lives are rich and varied,
often symbolically and metaphorically presented
using both verbal and nonverbal forms of
communication. Peeks (1989) notes the word
metaphor is related to the Latin word metaphora and
the Greek word metapherin which means “to
transfer”. Children reveal their experiences from the
contexts of their cultural and familial surroundings,
providing aspects of their co-constructed realities.
Younger children are more likely to express
themselves through a variety of play mediums such as
sandplay, puppets, doll house, art, clay, storytelling
and dramatic play. Sometimes the play will be
accompanied by verbalizations, and other times not.
Through the use of symbols and play objects children
invite us to be a part of their perceived interactions
between others, interactions between themselves
and others, and/or experiences they have had.

What is a Distancing Technique?
This is the use of objects (both conventional and non-
conventional), drawings and other expressive items to
hear children. Conventional items are toys and figures
that may be found in most playrooms such as
dollhouses and doll figures, furniture, vehicles etc.,
and non-conventional items are things not directly
related to regular toys that can be purchased such as
pieces of cloth, paper towel rolls, stones etc. Through