The OuchKit Helps Kids--and the Grown-Ups Who Love Them--Develop Emotional Fluency, Conflict Resolution Skills, and Compassion

When Betsy Sansby created the first OuchKit, she envisioned it as a therapy tool for couples. What she didn’t realize was that The OuchKit would have far broader applications in schools and treatment settings where it could be incorporated into class meetings, anti-bullying curricula, peer mediation, and adolescent treatment programs.

(PRWEB) December 6, 2005 -- The 36-card OuchKit contains six unique kinds of exchangeable cards: Ouch, Sorry, Thanks, You’re Welcome, I’ve Been Wondering, and Now That You Mention it. On the back of each card are fill-in-the-blank statements and checklists of emotions. These help kids identify their feelings and express them to each other from a safe distance—without defensiveness or blame.

One great thing about the cards is that they can be exchanged without involving teachers, parents, or other kids. For example, a hurt child might complete an Ouch card and tuck it into a bully’s backpack. The card begins with the statement: “I felt bad when you ____” and includes a checklist that helps the child name and express his feelings more precisely. The card ends with a fill-in-the-blank request that begins: “I’d really like you to______.” For example, a child might say: “I’d really like you to stop calling me ‘Fatboy.’”

Just as the Ouch card provides a safe way for the hurt child to express feelings, the Sorry card provides a face-saving way for the bully to respond. It begins with an apology: “Sorry I ___.“ It continues with a checklist of terms describing the hurtful behavior. The Sorry card ends with an offer to make amends: “Right now, I’d like to repair the damage by ____.”

The beauty of the cards is that kids don’t even have to know what they’re feeling to fill one out. The process itself automatically uncovers feelings and insures that they get expressed respectfully. This is one reason the OuchKit works so well with boys; it helps them name feelings they never knew they had.

The OuchKit also works with families because it levels the playing field between parents and children, and between older siblings and younger ones. Sansby says she’s heard 12-year-olds apologize with greater emotional fluency than their parents.

Try out OuchKit cards for free as E-cards at: hhtp://www.theouchkit.com. Quantity discounts are available for teachers and therapists. Contact Alan or Betsy toll free at: 800-898-8036.

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