For children, everything new can be alarming: a new kindergarten, a new club, a new meeting. The first meeting with a coach is always an exciting moment. Especially for a child. We’ve come up with a format that makes getting started easy and fun. Here’s how to prepare your child in advance.

1. Watch the characters together

On the Animago website there are cartoon characters with the help of which our coachs work. Each hero can help with any request, and it will be more interesting to choose if together you fantasize about their characters and “superpowers.” Some help you cope with sadness, while others teach you to believe in yourself and not be afraid of mistakes.

Spend 15-20 minutes exploring the character gallery together. Let the child choose those he liked best and come up with stories for them: where they live, what they are interested in, what kind of friends they have. This will relieve stress and turn preparation into a game.

2. Review and discuss them together

When discussing characters, you can gently connect their descriptions with the difficulties that the child experiences: “Look, this hero also gets angry sometimes and learns to deal with it. And this one learns to be braver, even if it’s a little scary at first.”.

Try these phrases:

• “This character knows how to listen—what do you think you would tell him?”
• “This hero has a magical way of calming down when he’s scared. Do you want to come up with your own?
• “Look, this friend is helping others not to be afraid. Who helps you when you’re worried?

This way the child will see that asking for help is normal, and the emotions he experiences are familiar to others (even cartoon characters).

3. Offer to try

Explain that at the meeting you will be able to make friends and talk with the character as if he came to life from a cartoon. “Maybe the hero will ask what you like, what you like to do, what makes you happy or sad. You can answer as much as you want.”.

Emphasize:

• this is not a school, no one will give grades;
• the child decides for himself what to share and what not to talk about;
• you can just listen if you don’t want to talk yet;
• If you don’t like something, you can say so directly.

This approach relieves pressure and gives the child a sense of control over the situation.

4. Answer your child’s questions

If the child is curious about how it works, tell them: the characters were invented by people, like cartoon characters, but they know how to really communicate, answer questions and help children if they have difficulties.

Be honest: explain that behind the character there is a kind coach who wants to help. But don’t overload with details; for children, the image and the ability to trust are more important.

Examples of answers to common children’s questions:

• • “Who speaks for the hero?” – “A kind wizard-coach who knows how to make the hero come to life on the screen.”
  • “Is he real?” – “He is a true friend who wants to listen to you and help you.”
  • “What if I don’t want to talk to him?” – “Then we’ll just look at it together, that’s all.”

5. Greeting from the selected character

When your child chooses a character, we will send you a greeting from him, where the character will tell you a little about himself. This is a short video or audio message with a smile, a kind voice and a couple of phrases: “Hello! I’m Blueberry, and I’m very glad that we will meet. I love listening to stories and know a lot of fun games. See you!”

This makes it easier and more joyful for the child to take a step towards the coach and the first important meeting with him at the diagnostic check-up.

Red adaptation flags: when to contact a specialist

Anxiety does not always go away on its own. Pay attention to these signals, they may be a reason to sign up for a consultation:

• Sudden changes in behavior: Became withdrawn, aggressive, or whiny for no apparent reason.
• Sleep problems: difficulty falling asleep, nightmares, frequent awakenings.
• Somatic complaints: Frequent pain in the stomach or head without medical reasons.
• Refusal to communicate: avoids friends, doesn’t want to go to kindergarten/school.
• Obsessive fears: afraid to be alone, clings to parents, worries about “bad events.”
• Regression in development: returned to thumb sucking, enuresis, “baby” speech.
• Difficulty concentrating: Can’t concentrate on games or tasks and is easily distracted.

If you notice several of these signs for more than 2-3 weeks, consulting a coach will help find the cause and support the child.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: The child is afraid that the coach will scold him. How can we explain that this is not so?
Say: “A coach is a friend who knows how to listen and help. He doesn’t scold, grade, or tell others what you talked about unless you’re in danger.”

Question: How long will the first meeting take? Will the child get tired?
Answer. The first meeting lasts 30 minutes with the child, it’s like an interesting game or fairy tale. We adapt to the child’s pace: if he is tired, we can pause. Afterwards we meet with the parents for 30 minutes, where we discuss the results of the meeting.

In Animago, we made sure that the first step was not scary, but exciting. After all, the child will not meet an “adult in the office,” but a cartoon character at home. This is how anxiety gives way to curiosity, and a meeting with a coach becomes like an adventure.

Book a Checkup.