I'm 'Allergic' to Big Dogs!

   "I'm allergic to big dogs!," he squealed, as my aged dachshund Ivey waddled past him on the sidewalk.  

Ivey was used to city life - garbage trucks, sirens, aggressive pit bull owners, tiny barking things, and even squirming, dog-phobic kids of all ages and sizes.  But this young boy was having a very different experience.   Wall-eyed and frozen, his face was a mixture of terror and overwhelm, and he instantly flattened himself against the building. 

What he didn't know yet was that my dog Ivey was stone-cold blind from hyper-tension and cataracts.  What he didn't know yet was that Ivey was the calmest pooch he'd probably ever meet.  What HE COULD SEE BUT COULD'NT ACCEPT was that the fur creature before him was only a foot high.  His eyes took in the information, but the information  got 'stuck' somewhere before reaching his rational, thinking brain. Even if you're a tall kid now, we've all had those moments, right?  : )

EFT is a marvelous tool to quickly, gently and easily help children deal with their fears and problems.  It only takes a minute to change their experience of the world  from scary to fantastic.  Knowing this is the most satisfying thing in the world, and telling others about it is how I've decided to spend the rest of my life.  

I gently urged Ivey to leave us and snuffle her way into the little garden alone, while slowly turning to the boy.  "Can I tell you a secret?," I asked.  I didn't think it possible, but his eyes got even bigger!  I set my heart's intention to reach him, right where he was, and smiled.

"That dog's name is Ivey....and she is old and blind, now, so sometimes, she is 'allergic' to kids!," I whispered. I could see that this was a possibility he'd never considered, as he began unfolding himself from the wall and leaned in to watch Ivey more closely.  I ventured a little further: "You wouldn't be one of those kids who went around scaring little dogs, would you?"  He shook his head 'no.'  "Oh, good!  So there's nothing for her to worry about," I smiled.  "You see it's hard for her to think when she's scared -- sometimes she can't even tell big from little!  Have you ever felt that way, too?"  This time the boy nodded 'yes.'  

Soon we were having an animated conversation about dogs, and I showed him my 'magic trick' of tapping on a few places that made me feel calm and brave.  Ivey got a nice tour of the garden while Shawn and I got to change our perspective on the world, and therefore our experience of it, too.    

I retrieved Ivey, showed Shawn how I talked with her, tapped with her, and she then slowly snuffled over to meet him.

His face told me all I needed to know, but his body language was a sight to behold as he knelt down next to her, crooning 'don't be scared, Ivey, I'm a good guy!'   When Shawn's mom arrived on the scene, he proudly showed her his 'allergy' to big dogs was gone.  I could see her surprise as she hugged him and Ivey, too, before they ran to catch the bus. 

In just a few minutes, we can change our world, and theirs, too.  How're YOU using EFT with kids? Write me!

Until next time, ...this is TappingStar coFounder Jondi, saying, "Keep tapping!"

Hi, EFT Trainer Jondi Whitis, here.  Do you love working with kids, as I do?  Does your heart reach out in compassion to little ones struggling with something that feels too big for them to handle?   TappingStar is a community of like-minded, kind-hearted practitioners, teachers, counsellors, social workers, and yes, even parents and grandparents seeking to help small folks get relief from their fears and overwhelm.  If you're seeking to help them find a life more satisfying, full, sturdy and courageous, then you're in the right place. There's a ton of resources waiting for you on podcast, at EFTradioOnline.com, under the TappingStar label.  Click here when you're done with this blog, to listen.