Home-made Books Material drawn from: Homemade Books to Help Kids Cope: An easy to learn technique for parents and professionals Author: Robert G Ziegler, MD Magination Press, Washington, 1992 ISBN:

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Introduction The value of writing stories with children Helping children deal with different situations Valuable for parents, carers and professionals Useful with all ages of children

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Three types of books Books to describe situations Books to define feelings Books to make general and empathetic statements

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Books to describe a situation A natural way to prepare for change and transitions A helpful way to introduce new ideas Helps parents and carers too – gives them time to reflect Unique messages Repeating and reinforcing messages

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Books to define feelings Feelings – a large part of a child's experience Describing a behaviour enables a child to identify and understand feelings Helpful for children in visualising feelings Helps children to accept feelings about a situation Acknowledge the challenge to adult ability to accept feelings

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Books to make an empathetic statement Natural and conformable way to get a little distance Helps a child to get and keep a sense of perspective Finding a generally empathetic statement (qualified by ‘sometimes’)

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Benefits A tangible sense of involvement with a child Building understanding between adult and child Increasing acceptance Creating grounds for further dialogue Focusing on relationships

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Tools and techniques for making books Drawing –Draw the pictures yourself –Child draws the pictures –Do it together Scrapbook Cut and paste from magazines Use photos

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Tools and techniques Computers Borders, illustrations, clip art Adding in text Draw, paint programmes, desktop publishing Import photos and cartoons Computer-based book can include animations, etc.

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Materials for paper books Paper – different colours sizes and types Pencils, felt pens, gel pens Scrap materials – magazines, catalogues Scissors Glue stick Photos Hole punches, staples

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Some situations when it’s useful for professionals Introducing yourself as new worker Explaining why you are there Reflecting on situations and events Introducing change, e.g. new baby, change of school or placement Exploring behaviour issues Preparing for court

Communicating with Children © National Children's Bureau 2006 Finally ‘In creating a book about a difficult experience, the child is able to develop mastery and control by putting words to affectively charged situations, one of the first steps in changing behaviour…’ Madeline Steinberg, Psy.D. Harvard Medical School at the Cambridge Hospital