Childhood Disruption, Part 2: An Interview with Jemima Mertes
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Jemima visits her sister, Mercy Joan
A hug, a nap, a kind word: each of these actions can be really helpful for those that are going through hard times.
Jemima Mertes, age 6, shares these insights and more on this episode of Handle with Care. Jemima is no stranger to sadness: her older sister died and her younger brother has undergone multiple open heart surgeries.
As she speaks about her safe place, breathing techniques, and how to remember well, Jemima offers wisdom for anyone walking with a child through tumult as well as for those that support parents during times of disruption.
You can listen to the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. You can also click here to listen:
Joyful Jemima
A few reflections on my time with Jemima
There is great power to a tasty snack, a warm hug, and a good night’s rest for both adults and children.
Providing children with a safe spot can help with unruly emotions. Putty can be a great resource; Jemima found particular comfort in a tactile expression for her large emotions. There are also companies like Generation Mindful that provide Time-In Toolkits. I am including their information and a link to our favorite putty in the show notes.
When you are feeling scared and overwhelmed, take time to breathe. Jemima demonstrated a few techniques in our podcast. I love that they are teaching these techniques in school…and it is great insight for adults as well. Deep, rhythmic breathing communicates safety to your body and helps to stem the cascade of stress responses in the body.
Watching movies with Moses in the hospital
Here are links to the resources mentioned in today’s podcast
Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty: https://puttyworld.com
Generation Mindful: https://www.genmindful.com/?rfsn=654637.ab95e