Kids’Skills Method by Ben Furman

Overview

• Speaker: Ben Furman
• Topic: Kids’Skills, a solution-focused method for helping children overcome psychological issues.
• Origin: Developed in Finland in the 1990s.
• Adoption: Popular among teachers, parents, social workers, psychologists, and family therapists worldwide.
• Resources: Books available in 20 languages; Kids’Skills App available on App Store and Google Play.

Key Principles

• Focus on Skills, Not Problems:
  • Shift perspective from problems to skills children need to learn.
  • Children view issues as skills yet to be learned, unlike adults.
• Examples:
  • Nail Biting: Shift from stopping nail biting to growing beautiful nails.
  • Aggression: Shift from not hitting to controlling anger, e.g., seeking help when feeling angry.
  • Fear of Dogs: Shift to letting dogs come close to sniff.

Methodology

• Start with Existing Skills:
  • Discuss and celebrate skills the child already possesses to boost self-esteem.
• Identify Skills to Learn:
  • Collaboratively determine new skills needed.
• Motivate and Plan:
  • Use Kids’Skills steps to motivate and create a plan.
  • Discuss benefits of learning the skill and how it will improve life.
• Skill Naming:
  • Allow children to name the skill to personalize and communicate it better.

Support System

• Naming Supporters:
  • Identify who will help the child learn the skill (parents, friends, etc.).
  • Include imaginary supporters for encouragement.

Practice and Reinforcement

• Celebration:
  • Plan celebrations for skill acquisition.
• Practice:
  • Record videos of the child practicing the new skill.
  • Use video for feedback and reinforcement.
• Reminding:
  • Develop gentle reminders for when children forget their skills.

Additional Concepts

• Teaching Others:
  • Reinforce learning by teaching the skill to others.
• Systemic Impact:
  • Involves changes in the social network and perspectives around the child.
  • Facilitates a shift from focusing on problems to a skill-oriented mindset.

Collective Application

• Family Skills Project:
  • Each family member learns a skill, supporting each other.
• Skillful Class Project:
  • In a classroom setting, each child learns a skill with peer support.

Further Resources

• Books and Website: Additional literature available.
• Training Seminars: Courses available in several countries.
• App: Kids’Skills App offers resources and guidance.

These notes provide an overview of the Kids’Skills method as presented by Ben Furman, including its principles, methodology, and applications. For more detailed information, refer to the available books, seminars, or the Kids’Skills App.