***Using EFT For Children - - Helping Them Focus, Feel Calmer and More Relaxed

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a powerful, easy to learn energy technique that can transform the quality of your life or business, often sky rocketing you to achieving goals or greater business success. That being said, it is also a wonderful technique to use with children of all ages - especially school aged children.

This technique is easy to learn, works quickly and painlessly, allowing a child to feel calmer and focus more clearly on the subjects or tasks at hand. You are about to be introduced a two step process of EFT that is quite beneficial in working with children.
It is great for improving attention and enabling the child to feel calmer, more focused and relaxed. You will also be introduced to two EFT shortcut procedures that many children find fun as well as quite effective to use.

When doing EFT, we use many of the same meridians or energy sensitive areas on the skin as with traditional acupuncture only instead of using needles, we activate these spots by gently tapping on them with our fingertips while focusing on a particular emotion, problem or issue we wish to resolve or release, such as anger or guilt.

In children, paying attention can be difficult for them at times which may cause stressful situations for the child, teacher or parent. The child may become moody, withdrawn, angry, sad, depressed or resentful and may act up or develop low selfworth as a result of this issue. Fortunately, Emotional Freedom Techniques can help your child focus more clearly, allowing him or her to pay closer attention to the teacher or you, the parent. This may also calm the child, which in turn will perpetuate a greater feeling of confidence and well being for the child, increasing their self confidence as well.

When dealing with an attention issue, EFT works remarkably well. There are actually two shortcuts that I will outline in this article that most children take to quite quickly as they are easy to do and, more importantly, FUN!

First, let's go over the traditional two step EFT process for such an issue.

The traditional EFT process has two steps:

1. The Set Up
2. The Reminder Phrase

Step 1. Set Up Phrase

The Set Up is where you initially identify your child's issue, problem or emotion. Once identified, you then have the child measure intensity of their issue (how strongly it effects them) using a scale from zero to 10 with zero having no effect what so ever and 10 being the most intense, uncomfortable effect possible. With children, this can be best determined by having them place their hands out and showing you how big the issue is. If the issue is big (very intense), their hands may be all the way apart. This would signify a 10. If the issue is small, their hands may be relatively close together. If the issue is resolved, their hands would be completely together, signifying a zero. Once you have found where the intensity is, jot this number down as you will refer back to it after doing the EFT procedure to see if any change occurred regarding how the child is feeling.

You will check their level of intensity or discomfort often as you use EFT to monitor their progress until they achieve a zero level for the particular emotion, issue or problem you are dealing with.

You begin the Set Up while having the child tap the Karate Chop Point and repeating the Set Up Phrase three times. For a free tapping chart, you can download one from my site at www.usinglawofattraction.com.

The standard Set Up Phrase is: "Even though I have this problem, I am still a totally awesome kid." (For teenagers, you may want to rephrase this to "I am still a totally awesome guy or person.")
Let's break this statement down a bit further so you can see the role each part plays.

The first part, "Even though I have this problem" (which could be an emotion such as guilt or not paying attention in class), begins focusing the subconscious mind on the issue you wish to resolve or release.

The second part of the statement, "I am still a totally awesome kid", allows the subconscious mind to accept this issue and begin to release it. This is the portion that counter acts any potential resistance within the child.

In step one, a potential set up phrase might be: "Even though I have a problem paying attention in class, I am still a totally awesome kid". You would have the child state this phrase three times while tapping the Karate Chop Point.

When tapping, you generally have the child tap with their dominant hand. If the child is right handed, he/she will use all four fingertips of their right hand against the Karate Chop Point of their left hand during the Set Up, and use the index and middle finger tips to tap on the remaining nine meridians or EFT points using the EFT process outlined below (except under the arm and top of the head where they will use all four fingertips of their dominant hand). They will tap approximately seven to 10 times at each point but don't get hung up on counting the number of taps they do. As long as they continue tapping while stating the phrases or by following the outline, they will tap at least the required number of times.

To understand how hard to tap, imagine drumming your fingers across a table top. We have all done this, generally when bored. This is about how hard they will tap each point - just enough to make a nice bounce but not hard enough to hurt or bruise themselves. Tap along with them. This not only reinforces them, it validates them, encourages them and also adds energy to the session for the child. If you or the child wear glasses, it is best to remove them while doing EFT so that you have easier access to the points around the eyes.

Step 2. Reminder Phrase

After the Set Up, the next step is the Reminder Phrase. This is a scaled down version of the statement used during the Set Up. The Reminder Phrase we will use for this example will be, "paying attention in class".

The Reminder Phrase keeps the subconscious mind focused in on the issue or emotion, allowing the child to resolve or release it, enabling them to feel calmer and more relaxed and to actually be able TO focus and pay attention.

The Reminder Phrase is stated while tapping each of the remaining EFT points beginning at the top of the head and working down the body. Have the child tap each point using the index and middle fingertips of their dominant hand except at the top of the head and under arm points where they will use all four fingertips or the palm of the hand.

Tapping points and Reminder Phrase use:

Top of the Head: "Paying Attention In Class."
Eyebrow Point: "Paying Attention In Class."
Side of the Eye: "Paying Attention In Class."
Under the Eye: "Paying Attention In Class."
Under the Nose: "Paying Attention In Class."
Chin Point: "Paying Attention In Class."
Collarbone Point: "Paying Attention In Class."
Under the Arm: "Paying Attention In Class."

Once you have completed the entire process, you re-evaluate the intensity of the child's issue by having him/her stretch out their hands, showing how big the issue remains. Ask the child if any new feelings came up. Do they feel anything in any particular part of their body? Noting any change along with any new emotions or events help resolve issues much more rapidly. Paying attention to sensations in the child's body such as a tightness or heaviness are also clues there is further work to do. Perhaps they feel nothing at all. That's perfectly fine.

With EFT, persistence is the key to successfully releasing and resolving an issue or emotion. Pay attention to your child, how they feel and what they say. Note any new emotions or events that may have surfaced. Apply EFT to those feelings or memories and reassess their level of intensity by having them show you with their hands. If your child finds nothing, and feels no intensity, congratulations, your work on this issue is complete for now. If any remains, repeat the procedure, using "this remaining attention issue" as your child's issue in both the set up and reminder phrase. Continue until your child achieves a level of zero intensity.

When working with attention problems, persistence is key. Often, children find that tapping off and on during the day greatly helps them to remain focused and calm. Now you have the basics behind using the two step procedure of EFT. Here is a wonderful EFT shortcut. Often for attention issues, such as with ADHD, just tapping will do wonders. Once a child learns to tap, they generally enjoy how good it makes them feel and will tap for themselves without prompting.

Have the child do the following:

Top of the Head: Using the Palm of Their Hand, Tap 6-7 Times.
Eyebrow Point: Using Index and Middle Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.
Side of Eye: Using Index and Middle Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.
Under Eye: Using Index and Middle Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.
Under Nose: Using Index and Middle Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.
Chin Point: Using Index and Middle Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.
Collarbone: Using Index and Middle Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.
Under Arm: Using All Four Finger Tips, Tap 6-7 Times.

Repeat the above sequence three times and then throughout the day as needed. Your child, and you, should notice a marked improvement in the child's attention as well as the child feeling calmer and more relaxed.

An even quicker shortcut that children really enjoy doing is this fun and easy to learn EFT procedure. This is one teachers have found works beautifully to bring the entire classroom into focus. The shortcut procedure goes like this:

Top of Head: Tap With Palm of Hand Three Times.
Collarbone: Tap With Palm of Hand Three Times.
Tap Wrists Together Three Times.
Tap On Inside of Leg Above Right Ankle With Palm of Hand Three Times.
Tap On Inside of Leg Above Left Ankle With Palm of Hand Three Times.
Repeat the above sequence three times.

This shortcut is fun, quite effective, and works well to bring a child's focus onto the subject at hand. It can also help children to feel calmer and more productive.
Try these EFT procedures (the two step process and either or both of these EFT shortcuts) and see for yourself. The results will truly amaze you and your child. As with traditional EFT, if your child is dealing with a specific emotion, you can most certainly insert that issue into the standard setup phrase and tap on it to help them release the issue to feel calmer and more emotionally free. Good luck and happy tapping!

Disclaimer: While EFT has been used by thousands of therapists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, doctors, and individuals worldwide with exceptional results and minimal negative side effects, this does not mean that you will not experience any side effects. If you use EFT on yourself or others, you are advised to take full responsibility for yourself and the treatment.