If your child is having consistent emotional, behavioral, or social challenges that interfere with their daily life, well-being, or development then it may be time to look into getting some professional help for them.
As a concerned parent you will want to do some research to see what is best for your child. So let’s talk about what’s more helpful, tap outs or therapy?
What is Tapouts?
Tap outs is an online mental wellness program that teaches emotional skills, confidence, growth mindsets, resilience and healthy habits, so that kids are prepared to deal with life’s challenges. There is an element of fun in the tap outs program that makes it appealing to kids such as videos, games and rewards.
“Once the fun and excitement is established, we found kids to be much more receptive to new learnings and willing to apply those to real life.” (https://help.tapouts.com/en-us/knowledge-base/what-tapouts-is)
The program is designed for kids ages 4-16. Groups of 8-10 kids (grouped by age) meet online for 30 minutes each week and they are led by a coach. Each week a new learning outcome is introduced and there is discussion and learning that is done in a fun way to keep them engaged.
How is Tap Outs Helpful?
Being involved in a group that includes other kids who have similar challenges can help your child feel like they are not alone or really normalize challenges. This can make it easier for them to express their feelings and want to participate.
There is also a points system that encourages participation and they can cash in their points for rewards like gifts cards, games, and other prizes. This positive reinforcement is typically something that kids respond well to. So they may be more motivated and less resistant than they would be towards therapy.
This type of program can be very helpful for kids because it’s a relaxed environment where they can connect with other kids and have fun.
AND. This is really great for creating a baseline of skills for your child. They will have some foundational knowledge and experience that support their experience in therapy if it comes to a time when they would benefit from therapy.
Tap outs is not recommended if you have some more intense things happening emotionally. For example: if your child is experiencing ongoing social or school difficulties, if they’ve been through or are going through an emotionally intense experience at home or they’ve experienced trauma. If any of these things are happening and you want to combine tap outs and therapy, great! But you don’t want to put a bandaid on something that needs professional attention, you know?
Therapy builds emotional awareness to help kids identify and express feelings like anger, sadness, fear, or frustration and sometimes this is most effective in an environment that is private and individualized.
A therapist can see beyond the presenting behaviors and get to underlying causes so there can be healing, learning to emotionally regulate during intense experiences at home, at school or with friends.
Therapists can pick up on subtle cues and read the body language of the child after getting to know them and this is helpful, especially if they have a hard time verbally expressing their feelings.
When a kid is in therapy, family involvement is encouraged. This is beneficial as it improves parent-child communication, helps parents understand what the child is experiencing, and gives them tools to address behaviors at home and provide effective discipline. In a past blog we talked about what to expect when your child is in therapy, you can read that HERE.
There is no clear cut answer to the question, “What’s more helpful? Tap outs or therapy?” because it all depends on the kid and the situation. You have to look at their personality and what specific challenges they are facing,so that you can make the best decision for them.
If you are ready to look into what is best for your child so that you can begin managing their mental health, contact us, we can help you get started.
