天博体育

In our article Meet Your Inner Family, we introduced the new 天博体育 book: Organize your Emotions, Optimize Your Life, which can be described as an adult version of the Pixar movie Inside Out. We propose that the human psyche has nine life forces speaking as our inner 鈥渧oices.鈥� This framework can help optimize many situations and challenges in life, from the routine (like back to school) to the more complex.

Here鈥檚 what a child鈥檚 nine inner family members might say about going back to school, and how parents might coach them into more harmony and thriving:

Autonomy: 听

Boy, have I had fun. I feel free in the summer. Doing whatever I feel like. Even Mom and Dad are more relaxed. This is all going to end when I go back to school. Yuck!

Mom/Dad: 听It鈥檚 hard for your Autonomy to give up the freedom of the summer. I feel your pain. What are some ways for you to have autonomy when you are back at school?

Adventurer:

Summer is such an amazing time for adventures. School is so boring鈥�

Mom/Dad: 听I鈥檓 going to miss summer adventures too. How about asking your Adventurer to come up with an idea for a new family adventure once a week/month? I would love to hear your ideas!

Creative: 听

Summer is SOOOOO fun. We get to play games and be creative. Why don鈥檛 teachers make school more fun. I would wake up on time and not complain about getting ready.

Mom/Dad: 听I hear you 鈥� creative activities don鈥檛 get enough attention at school. Let鈥檚 ask your Creative about new ways to be creative on the weekends. I鈥檒l help you get set up.

Standard Setter: 听

I really want to get back to school so we can accomplish things. We are a bit lazy in the summer. I鈥檓 looking forward to science class. I hear the teacher is really good.

Mom/Dad: 听I agree. Back to school is a great time to look forward to new challenges and achievements especially after a nice summer break.

Confidence:

I want to get back to school too. I love learning. But I鈥檓 worried about the high pressure to get good grades. Can鈥檛 we just focus on learning. I think I would get better grades that way.

Mom/Dad: 听That鈥檚 interesting. We were thinking that encouraging high grades was helping you. Maybe we can focus more on what you are learning and help you learn even more.

Executive Manager:

I鈥檝e been pretty much ignored all summer. Our bedroom is a mess, clothes and toys everywhere. I keep trying to tell the Creative and Adventurer that we need to spend some time organizing stuff. We need to be organized for school. But they just overrule me.

Mom/Dad: 听That鈥檚 interesting. You鈥檙e not alone. Most kids have an Executive Manager that feels neglected. Would it work to ask for just fifteen minutes on weekend days to get organized? I can help. My Executive Manager would get a boost too.

Body Regulator: 听

I LOVE THE SUMMER! Sunshine, running around, swimming, summer fruits, lots of sleep. No school stress. I鈥檓 worried about going back to school. It鈥檚 hard to get enough sleep and eat healthy lunches. Autonomy doesn鈥檛 like going to bed on time and Creative doesn鈥檛 like healthy foods that don鈥檛 taste great, like oatmeal and carrots.

Mom/Dad: 听Adults have the same challenges. The Body Regulator often gets ignored when we are back to school and work. We could work together on some healthy habits. How about we make your lunch together in the evening and make sure Autonomy gets to do what it wants so it鈥檚 ready to go to bed?

Relational: 听

Summer is really good family time. We have the best times. I鈥檓 going to miss summer.

Mom/Dad: 听I know what you mean. Maybe we should create a special family event for the fall. What do you think?

Meaning Maker: 听

I didn鈥檛 know I had a Meaning Maker. Huh. I guess I鈥檓 grateful that I don鈥檛 have to go to school in the summer. Adults have to keep working! And I鈥檓 glad to be refreshed before starting school again.

Mom/Dad: 听Summers for kids are very special. I鈥檓 glad you are grateful.