Two out of 10 children in an average classroom are stimulus – or highly sensitive – and the waiting lists for counselling are getting longer and longer. That is why I, child and family therapist Dagje Boets, wrote the book “Cactusalarm” – a book with which children, parents and supervisors can get started themselves.
Families seeking help want to be helped as soon as possible. However, this is not always possible because of the enormous waiting lists in youth care. Because I know that waiting can lead to even more powerlessness, frustration and misunderstanding between family members, I started looking for a way to offer help during that ‘waiting time’. From here and from the desire to be able to help more children and families at the same time, my book was born.
With Cactusalarm , you as a parent or child can get started right away, reducing the chance that the problem will get worse. It is an activity book that provides you and your child with tools to defuse stimulus situations and worrying thoughts and to avoid crises.
In this activity book you will discover:
• Which stimuli (triggers) set off your cactus alarm
• What triggers a cactus alarm in you (behavior/feeling)
• How to turn off the cactus alarm (tools)
You will be helped to move forward, as if you were attending a number of therapeutic sessions.
As a result, you will be able to see the problem faster, gain insight and be provided with very personal tailor-made solutions. An accumulation of problems can be prevented by this… And maybe you don’t even have to register at a therapeutic center anymore.
Cactusalarm is an activity book for children from 6 to 12 years old. Parents and children are given tailor-made tools to defuse worrying thoughts and stimulus situations and thus prevent family crises.
Highly sensitive and stimulus-sensitive children can use the book to
stroke – regardless of the cause of the sensitivity.
The book is not only useful for parents, but also for coaches, (care) teachers, grandparents and therapists.
In the more than 120 pages you will find more than 50 directly applicable tips and tools, relaxation exercises and visualization techniques.
With the 48 help cards, you can create a personal crisis plan that you can take with you anywhere in your school bag or jacket pocket. When a crisis situation arises, your child can refer to his help cards, which show concrete solutions and tricks.
Sensitive children are often perceived as troublesome or bland. I think it’s very important that sensitivity is no longer viewed as an aberration, but as a superpower.
Through the book, children learn to understand themselves. As a result, their self-confidence grows.
Teaching children from an early age to deal with stimuli and their sensitivity thus creates more and smoother development opportunities.
The cactus symbolizes the different “stimuli”. Learning to recognize stimuli and know how to control them ensures that children become more self-aware and can look for suitable tools for them. Throughout the book, this is discussed step by step.
With cactus alarm, your body eventually lets you know that you are not doing well. Your body puts on its spines to say that nothing more can be reached.
“Cactus alarm. Personal crisis plan for high-stimulus and stimulus-sensitive children” is available for purchase through Dagjeboets.be