Bodies & Boundaries

Go through your household (take a walk in nature) and look for objects that you could use for a playful body & boundary moment with your child. Be creative in your choice. Look for objects that have different qualities. For example: a fork, a glass, a feather, a stingy twig, a mandarine, a piece of fluffy cotton etc.

Take your kids along and involve them in the process.

With the consent of the child you explore one specific body part (for example the forearm) with the different objects you collected in the house/ in nature. Before you start to explore, ask your child if he/she trusts that you will immediately stop when a ‘no’ has been expressed. And tell your child (with eye contact) that you trust him/her to say ‘no’ when it becomes too much. Creating awareness about establishing mutual consent is crucial for both sides to be able to build trust.

Important: only one object at a time! Otherwise the nervous system gets overstimulated and it will be more challenging to sense what is really alive in the body.

You can do the exploration with or without blindfold (or simply closed eyes). Most important is that the child feels safe and comfortable in the unknown situation.

Once the frame is set and the rules are clear the fun can start:

Within your exploration consciously look for the ‘yes’ and the ‘more’. Then start slowly looking for the ‘no’. Dare to be edgy and to look for the boundary. Trust in your child being able to say ‘no’ at the right time. That will empower your child and give him/ her the feeling of being taken seriously by you. 

Turn the exploration around. Now you will be the receiver and the child the explorer. The same rules apply. Invite other family members to watch. It’s great fun and there is a big learning process in observation.