As adults many of us have heard of, or experienced firsthand, the therapeutic release of anger and hostility through punching bags, pillow fights, or rubber bats. For a child, the opportunity to bang on a drum and actually hear and feel his frustration being released can be just as effective.
No matter what our age, feelings and emotions are a part of our daily lives. Situations arise where we have to figure out what triggered our feelings, and then we have to handle those emotions. One particular eight year old boy, I'll call "Ben," had a life changing experience during a drumming session.
Now, I needed to help Ben recover and want to participate for himself. It took all four minutes to make Ben aware of the situation, and then he stood up and walked to get in line with his peers.
This helped her to realize that what her brother does to her at home does not need to be acted out in school or other settings. Now being aware of her own feelings, and the part she played in Ben's, she deeply understood first hand and acknowledged what transpired during our drumming session.