feelings of helplessness.
The details of a conversation like this will obviously change
along with the situation. But notice how Laura drew the story out
of her son, letting him take an active role in the storytelling
process. She acted primarily as a facilitator, helping get the facts of
the event straight. This is how stories empower us to move
forward and master the moments when we feel out of control.
When we can give words to our frightening and painful experiences
—when we literally come to terms with them—they often become
much less frightening and painful. When we help our children name
their pain and their fears, we help them tame them.
Whole-Brain Kids:
Teach Your Kids About the Two Sides of the Brain
In this chapter, we gave you several examples of how to help your
kids integrate their left and right brain. It can also be helpful to
talk to your children, and explain to them some basics about the
information we’ve just covered. To help you along, here’s
something you can read with your kids. We’ve written it with ɹve-
to-nine-year-olds in mind, but you should make it your own and
adapt it to fit the age and developmental stage of each child.