How many times have you asked (told?) your child not to touch something? Don’t Touch!

You know the drill. You’re in a store and your child reaches for the vase, the trinket, the plate…basically anything breakable. Don’t touch would be right up there with Say please.

It took about 10 minutes to change my daughter from a grabber/picker-upper to a One Finger Touch girl.

The One Finger Touch is exactly what is sounds like. My daughter could touch whatever she wanted as long as she only used one finger. And she was gentle.

When my daughter was between 3 and 10 we relied on the One Finger Touch every time we went into a store.

Telling children not to touch doesn’t work because it does not satisfy their desire/need/craving. As a result, not touching requires more self-control than most children can muster.

The One Finger Touch works by allowing the touch, but in a way that isn’t like the proverbial bull in the china shop.

Some children need more sensory stimulation than others. These children might require more touching in another environment, think clay at playtime. Others might need therapy. But all kids can benefit from the One Finger Touch in stores. Or at Grandma’s.

The One Finger Touch can also help your children eat a wider variety of foods.

Sounds like a reach, doesn’t it? Here’s the link:

Teaching kids to use the One Finger Touch is the manifestation of conscious parenting, marrying the lesson  you intend with the lesson you actually teach, all the while taking your kids’ needs into account. Expanding your child’s palate requires the same strategy.

One Finger Touch

  • Don’t touch teaches kids to ignore you if they’re need to touch is overwhelming. Wrong Lesson.
  • You want your children not to break stuff. Your child wants to touch. One Finger teaches them to touch safely. Correct Lesson.

New Foods

  • You want your children to learn to explore new foods. Asking (telling) them to take a bite teaches kids to comply and teaches them about power. It doesn’t necessarily teach them to taste what they’re eating or to become confident explorers. Wrong Lesson.
  • You want your children to want to explore and eat new foods. They’re scared they’ll gag. Teaching children how to prevent gagging (by swallowing strongly or spitting immediately) makes new food exploration safe. Correct Lesson.

And let’s not forget the way the One Finger Touch can literally help kids explore new foods: Touch the salmon with one finger! Now that’s safe exploration. And the right lesson!

~Changing the conversation from nutrition to habits.~