I am writing to fully support Gene Garbowski’s invention SwitchDraw. I believe this game could be so useful to kids and families to enhance ways to connect in a fun, collaborative, non threatening manner. Many families today are experiencing high levels of demand in their personal and professional lives. Kids have rigid demands to perform at school and parents have unrealistic demands at work. SwitchDraw is a fluid, playful, inventive activity that doesn’t require any ability other than wanting to “be together” and “create together”. This is certainly an antidote to stressful interactions. This game can be played in short or long intervals. It is magical and breeds a can do attitude. As a therapist of 32 years I can attest to the joy that people express when asked to participate in something as non threatening and connecting as SwitchDraw. I have used this game with many clients when they first enter counselling to establish a connected rapport. After all one of the most brilliant Psychiatrists, Donald Winnicott recommended this as a treatment technique that he called the squiggle game. In the good old days paper and pencil were good enough, but now kids expect to be engaged electronically and carry a device with them at all times and so do their parents. When they have a melt down instead of getting an angry child to talk, redirect them with this fun, connecting activity and before you know it, they will be back to their delightful selves. How do I know this? I am also a parent who raised a temperamental child who was frequently pacified and reengaged with this game. Gene played it with us, and we had many hours of laughter, creativity and developed lifelong memories that as a young woman she recounts. She works with emotional kids in an after school program and uses this game to celebrate the joy of being free, creative and connected. This is a fantastic invention.
Please use with caution because you might not get a lot of tasks accomplished once you switch to SwitchDraw.
Cynthia Forker, LCSWR, RYT, LMT
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