Description
Download, print on card.
Use this power card to encourage children to form healthy, supportive relationships through the art of giving and receiving compliments.
How to use Compliments card
Slowly read and enact each step. Model the behaviour by play acting both roles.
Then ask for two volunteers to try it, with one giving and one receiving the compliment.
Often children will ‘report to you as the adult e.g., (Looking at you) ‘I like the way Zeinab opened the door for me when I was carrying the book bucket.’
It is important to slow this right down into each step craftfully executed:
- Catch a person doing something well. Hold it between your thumb and pointer finger, your emotional GPS, to remember it.
- Look at the person and address them directly ‘Zeinab, I really liked the way you opened the door for me when I was carrying the book bucket.’
- The receiver of the compliment takes a deep breath, lets the compliment fall on their heart and says directly back to the person giving the compliment ‘Thank you’.
- The giver of the compliment ties an imaginary bow to signal completion of the moment and says ‘You’re welcome.’ And moves on.
For trauma-informed teaching or interactions, point to the place on card, name the step and say the words written on the card so it can be visually associated with what is being said. Giving a compliment. (POINT) Step 1….
Any team / classroom can improve its health and happiness by catching people doing wonderful things. Try setting up a culture of graceful compliments and feel the protective and defensive behaviours fall away.
