Which Guinea Are You!?

Hello from Growing Me ☀️ Hope that you are enjoying some sunshine this summer!

I’m writing this whilst watching our guinea pigs in their new cage, nervously staring at their new ramp… With a few tasty treats at the top though, one guinea has already plucked up the courage to try it out. The other is looking at me, pleading that I move the treats down: To him, the new ramp is too steep a mountain to climb.

Just like the guineas, some people are much more ready to have a go at new activities, with others preferring the familiar. How much challenge a child can face varies, as does a parent’s capacity to manage the highs and lows!

A sense of achievement improves self esteem and confidence which is particularly vital for children whose trauma often makes them feel bad about themselves. But we can only achieve if we are able, and how do we know the right time to challenge and give our children opportunities to succeed, without putting on too much pressure?

Growing Me is full of tools for connecting with ourselves, and each other. Attunement is key: knowing our own limits and those of our child at a given time, means we can better judge what challenges, if any, are appropriate.

All children succeed in their own unique way. And all guinea pigs do too: You will be pleased to know that the less adventurous of the two guineas will have his fair share of treats: he excels in unbelievably cute faces so has persuaded me to pick him up for cuddles and stop writing to get him some snacks!