What words do you find yourself repeating in your mind — or out loud — when you feel stressed or anxious? We often encourage caregivers to use mantras to stay focused and calm while working with children. Here are a few mantras we’ve heard from caregivers over the years:
“This too shall pass.”
“Serenity now.”
“It is my job to help you regulate.”
In the spirit of keeping things real, we’ve also heard a few that are slightly less zen, but you get the idea. Any short, repeatable phrase that helps you stay mindful and connected can be used as a mantra.
Recently Dr. David Cross developed his own TBRI Mantra for parents and professionals to use when working with their children.
Stay calm no matter what.
See the need behind the behavior.
Find a way to meet the need.
Don’t quit. If not you, then who?
“I was channeling Karyn when I wrote it,” says Cross. “Basically I was thinking, ‘how did Karyn work?’ She was always calm, she would see the need behind the behavior, she would find a way to meet the need – especially at that first camp when she didn’t exactly know what was going on with the kids, and she never quit.”
Over the next few weeks we’ll break down each section of the TBRI Mantra and Dr. Cross will share his thoughts on each segment.