*In my last post I announced my campaign to make phearnik!® available to kids, scared of everything, manage their fear. In this post, I aim to explain how it works. And, how, for children, their loved ones, and caregivers, life is better with the little plush.
The phearnik!® Journey
phearnik!®, a plush toy, used to prompt a mindfulness skill, helps children manage fear
Even before the pandemic, mental health issues were on the rise for children. Unfortunately, the pandemic increased the number of kids dealing with overwhelming fear and anxiety. This often points to a lack of mental health skills.
“So,” you ask, “how does a toy help kids build a skill to make them less scared of everything?” I’ll tell you!
What is this phearnik!® you are talking about?!
The phearnik!® [pronounced: fear-nick] toy or “plush” is a prompt. phearnik!® means “Little Fear” and prompts kids to remember to keep their fears “small.” Importantly, having a “little fear” when faced with non-life-threatening anxieties helps keep kids safe. A little fear helps us to pay attention. Whereas, too much or letting it “get “big” stops kids from doing what they want or need to do. This could be things like joining in and having fun with other kids.
A Prompt to Reduce Fear and Anxiety
Used in many disciplines including education, therapy, and Applied Behavioral Analysis, a prompt is a tool or aid. It works to achieve a desired behavioral response. Prompts can be verbal, gestural, physical, or visual. Also, pictures, videos, or toys such as dolls and plush are types of visual prompts.
Yes, A toy as A Prompt!
The small phearnik!® or “Little Fear” prompts children dealing with fear and anxiety to keep their fears small. They do this by calming themselves. First they take a breath, let it out, and take the first small “step” of trying a new experience. These can be things like putting a toe into the “scary” water. As well as, stepping just inside the doorway of the dark bedroom holding their stuffie, of course.
By providing a clear signal or reminder about what is expected, prompts guide the teaching of concepts or skill. This helps to increase the chances of a desired behavior.
Some examples of Prompts you might recognize…
Teachers might use verbal prompts to guide students through a challenging math problem. Or they may use visual prompts like pictures to help with learning vocabulary. Therapists use prompts to assist clients with many activities. These include visual prompts to guide them through a sequence of steps in a task. And, in the research-based practice, Applied Behavioral Analysis, prompts help to improve problematic behavior.
Manage Fear and Anxiety with Skills
wait! this isn’t life or death!
Many do not experience overwhelming fear in the face of non-life-threatening situations. They are skilled in transferring these thoughts.
Fearful thoughts begin in the primal limbic area of the brain. Those with the skill transfer these thoughts to the prefrontal cortex. This is where our modern, logical, and practical responses reside.
It’s as though they are saying, “Wait! My brain thinks this is a life-or-death situation but it’s not. I’m safe to give this a try.”
Mindfulness with phearnik!®
phearnik!® prompts the practice of switching fearful thoughts from its initial primal reaction to modern and logical calm responses. This skill strengthens mental health. It is an intrapersonal communication skill, a type of mindfulness.
How to Use the phearnik!® Prompt
The phearnik!® prompt is easy to use
Here’s how:
- Introduce phearnik!® to the child. Tell them its name, how it’s pronounced [fear-nik] and what the name means – “Little Fear.”
- In addition, tell them to take the plush with them. It’s small to fit in a backpack or pocket. Wherever they are, when faced with a situation they’re afraid of, phearnik!® is there. Reminding them that a “little fear” is okay. It helps to keep them safe and aware.
- Let the child know too much or letting their fear get “big” makes them freeze. This means they can’t do things they would like or need to do.
- phearnik!® wants them to first slowly take a breath in and let it out. It’s okay to do this a few times.
- Next phearnik!®, not only wants them to think about keeping their fear small but…
- …the plush wants them to think about not letting it get big.
- phearnik!® reminds them they are safe to take the first step on giving a new experience a try.
- Tell them phearnik!® is helping them learn an important skill to keep them strong and healthy.
From Fearful to Confident
get healthy with social and emotional skills
The more the toy is used, the more a child, scared of everything, practices the thinking skill. This skill builds their social and emotional health and becomes less fearful. As with all prompts, the more it’s used the less it’s needed. The more a child takes the plush with them, the more they will remember to practice the skill. This includes taking a breath, letting it out, and calming themselves toward taking positive action with new experiences. Moreover, this can be done with or without the plush at their side.
Said one grandmother of a phearnik!® owner,
“After a while, all we had to do when she was afraid of doing something that didn’t warrant a lot of fear, like getting in the water, was to tell her to “remember” phearnik!®. And she got it! You could see her thinking about it. And, with a smile, she jumped in the pool with the rest of us!”
Support Kids’ Mental Health
The phearnik!® plush is an easy and fun way to help kids who need it. Building a social and emotional skill, the toy can be life changing.
Make skill building fun! Join the phearnik!® Campaign!
By joining the campaign, you will get:
- Get more information about phearnik!® like
- How the quirky plush came to be
- Receive campaign updates (like how it will be made available),
- Get more info mental health skill building and
- Support the larger mission of boosting children’s mental health!
Do you have a prompt you use to help you build a skill? Is there anything you don’t understand or are confused about with the phearnik!® plush? Let me know in the Comments or email me: alis@awsstudios.art
If you think someone you know should know about phearnik!®, feel free to share this post.
Next post: The best way to introduce kids to phearnik!® what it is and how it works!
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