Page 64 - Meeting with Children Book

P a ge | 62

THE MEETING WITH CHILDREN

APPRAOCH

Much thought has gone into the development of the
Meeting with Children approach. Upon review of how
children and youth are typically approached when
gaining their input related to legal and educational
issues that affect their lives, it was evident that a few
main approaches are being used: Child interviews,
Re-enactment activities with toys or objects (show
me strategies), Family drawings, Drawings about
feeling states and/or choosing of feelings cards,
ranking exercises, photography and vignettes (Clark,
2010; Clark & Moss, 2001; Darbyshire, MacDougall &
Schiller, 2005; Dockett, Einarsodottir and Perry,
2009; Kadushin & Kadushin, 1997; Kohli, Dutton &
Raymond, 1997; Waterhouse and McGee, 2002;
Smart Wade & Neale, 1999; Smart, 2010).

When hearing and (in some cases watching videos) of
how practitioners were engaging children to share
their experiences post separation and divorce, it was
apparent that practitioners and researchers were
trying to find ways to gain the voices of children in
ways that were more child friendly, but the main
director of gaining information was, seemingly, the
adult. Adult and court-related agendas tended to
drive the invitation of children into the process.
Questions quickly lead to adult sought answers,
especially when there is an impasse between
parents. Although children are capable of sharing