A NOTE  FROM  THE  CREATOR  OF SHIRT TALES  WITH SOME  IMPORTANT FACTS AND RESOURCES FOR  PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS:

As a single mom with 4 children , 2 dogs, a home and a full time career, I struggled with what I could do stay connected to my kids while managing our hectic lives. 

When I began to think about an activity to interest my family, I thought it would be a great idea to outline a design on a t shirt and let them paint it in. Some of their favorite animals became a powerful catalyst for conversation…first about the animal being painted, then to other issues in their lives. In addition to opening up communication, the activity provided an opportunity for me to present my views and values about topics in a relaxed atmosphere. Over time our family created artistic, tangible expressions of our time, work and talks together. We wore the shirts, bragged about them and really by accident, created a family activity that helped us to value and learn from and about each other.

Each day, millions of American children are exposed  stressors that we do not know first hand, either because they were not part of our own childhood experience and/or our children are not sharing them with us. Regular exposure to negative influences can cause children to experience stress, anxiety and fear. Over time, these feelings can create psychological distance from family and an increase in negative behaviors and emotions such as aggression, depression, anxiety and school problems to name a few.

SHIRT TALES is based on the premise that adults who talk with their kids about what is happening in their daily lives are better able to guide them toward positive, skill enhancing activities and friendships. A high level of parental involvement throughout childhood and adolescence has been associated with low levels of delinquency and better psychological well being. Research has also shown that children whose caregivers are highly involved with them attain higher levels of happiness, better relationships and greater academic and financial self sufficiency than children whose caregivers are uninvolved.

It is critical that adults do all they can to develop and sustain strong relationships with children. These relationships can minimize the development of serious problems that are becoming increasingly common yet un-ADDRESSED in the United States. Many complex social factors such as an increase in single parenting, financial strain, limited access to extended families and increasing access to weapons and drugs have led to an increase in the prevalence of serious problems among children and adolescents such as violence, depression, suicide, anxiety and conduct disorders.

Caregivers receive little guidance about how to prevent problems, signs that may indicate the need for professional assistance or where to get help when mental health problems do occur. Despite their common nature, shame and fear surround these issues and families are reluctant to ask for help when they need it.

In light of current world events, there has not been a time in recent history that points more emphatically to our universal psychological vulnerabilities and the need for services to help those in need. The world crises that we all face highlight the need for us to be in touch with our kids activities and emotions and to recognize that mental health problems can affect anyone: family, neighbors, co-workers, members of our community.

SHIRT TALES can help caregivers to address the emotional needs of children. If additional information and/or help is needed, some useful children and family links are provided.

While working on your SHIRT TALE remember to put worries, chores and schedules on hold. Have fun, talk, relax, be creative. When you ‘re finished, paint another shirt or give a kit to a friend, share the good feelings that SHIRT TALES brought to your family and Just IMAGINE what can happen to this busy world!!