Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 17:57:52 -0800
To: balloon@balloonhq.com
From: Mike <mikekenyon@lambentweb.com>
Subject: Re: Kid question

Happy holidays everyone!

>  > Tonight I had a kid afraid of the balloon (not me)
>>  I also had a kid afraid of my pump.  His grandmother is a clown but he
>  > wants nothing to do with balloons or the pump.
>

Here's something you can do if you have about 5 minutes to work with 
the child. Ask them if they are afraid of the sound, the size, the 
color, the sound of the balloon popping, or some other detail about 
the balloon. Once they answer you, ask them to get a picture in their 
mind - or, if it is the sound, ask them to imagine the sound in their 
mind. When this is very clear to them, ask them to turn down the 
brightness on the picture or the volume on the sound. If they are 
afraid of the shape or size of the balloon, after they turn down the 
color, have them shrink the image. By lowering the intensity of the 
mental image or sound, they will lower the emotional intensity of 
their feelings.

Not only have you helped the child over their fear of the balloon, 
you've also given the child a technique to handle intense emotions 
associated with other things or events. Before you begin working with 
them, it may be necessary to get their attention and disable the 
mental cycle by saying something completely unrelated, like "What do 
you like on a hotdog?" or "What's the prettiest flower you ever saw?" 
or "I like vinegar on my french fries - do you?" "Did you ever see a 
cow drive a car?" or even "What do you suppose worms taste like to 
birds that eat them?" It is also possible that the child is not 
afraid of the balloons, but instead afraid of the person who is doing 
bizarre things, like blowing up balloons, or wearing bizarre 
clothing. If they are afraid of you, try to get the child to picture 
it, and again, turn down the brightness and shrink the size of the 
picture.

Good luck - I'm sure this discovery was unsettling! If you have the 
experience again, let us know how you handled it and what the result 
was. Sooner or later, it will probably happen to all of us.

Mike, chilling near the Chesapeake in a state that actually has an 
official state dog


-- 
Mother anteater to her baby anteater: "What do you mean you don't like ants?"
- Paul Lowney