The older boys on campus have had outbursts of anger recently, and Back2Back staff felt a desire to spend more time helping the young men recognize their emotions and understand what’s truly causing them.
“When the staff came to me for any suggestions, I mentioned the movie Inside Out,” shared Julie Mowery, Back2Back India Stateside Director. Together, they found an active viewing guide to help each child and teen process what they were hearing and seeing throughout the movie. Following their viewing, there was a guide they worked on in groups to help better understand their own emotions.
Staff also gave each child a mood tracker to help them identify what they’re feeling at any given point in their days; they were encouraged to mark their feelings down as they’re feeling them, elevating their self-awareness and helping them better understand why they feel the way they do. As a final step, staff offer action steps for them when they feel certain emotions and how to self-regulate.
Since the movie, the children and caregivers are more diligent about their emotions in the moment and clarifying why they feel the way they do. This is just one way staff are dedicated to helping each child in their care grow in self-awareness and others awareness. One conversation and lesson at a time, children from hard places are growing into young adults who will not repeat the same cycles of hurt, and for this, we are grateful.