Sound Off!

WisconSibs conducts many different activities during Sibshops, like the “Sound Off” activity. This activity has the child answer a few questions. This is not just a great writing activity, but also a great conversation to have with your kids.

The activity goes like this:

• If I could tell…. (my parents, my friends, my teacher, the whole world)
• Just ONE THING that is …. (good, so-so…)
• About having a sib with special needs it would be….

Some of the examples we received were:

• If I could tell my friends,
  • Just one thing that is good
  • About having a sib with special needs it would be: that I get to be noticed from her and I get to come here.
• If I could tell The whole world
  • Just one thing that is good
  • About having a sib with special needs it would be: I ALWAYS have a friend.
• If I could tell my parents
  • Just one thing that makes me angry about having a sibling with a disability, it would be:
  • The amount of attention my sibling gets even if I know the reason why.
• If I could tell my parents
  • Just one thing that is not-so-good
  • About having a sib with special needs it would be: I feel like I have to make them proud enough to fill the void of my sibling not doing so well in school.

Parents, this would be a great activity to do with your children! Some sibs may not want to share a not-so-good moment because they understand that you are busy and you don’t need more stress. These questions can bridge the gap. Also, sound offs can create a great atmosphere of positivity! Give it a try and let us know how it went for you.