Imagine that every child has a cup that needs to be filled-with affection, love, security, and attention. Some have a full-cup most of the time or know good ways to get a refill, but most children get a little nervous when their cup gets near empty.
Some ways that children deal with having an empty cup:
- Steal from other people’s cups
- Bounce off the walls when they approach empty
- Misbehave to get your attention & show they need a refill
- Can’t sit still for refills or actively refuse them
- Think they have to fight or compete for every refill
- Seem to have bottomless cups or constant “topping off”
What fills a child’s cup:
- Friendship
- One-on-one time
- Play
- Love & affection
- Doing what they choose or love to do
- Succeeding
- Connecting
What empties their cup:
- Fatigue
- Failing
- Stress & Strain
- Peer pressure
- Doing what they don’t like to do or are forced to do
- Yelling & punishment
- Loneliness & isolation