We believe it's best for your child to start with one trained area so they can get to know themselves and Keen. As they get used to Keen, they can add additional trained areas or potentially a second Keen. In the beginning, their goal is to build their awareness muscles and to learn to make a new choice by replacing the behavior with something more positive. This could be taking three deep breaths, an arm stretch, or a fidget toy. Your child will have to experiment to find what works for them and these may change over time.
To start, we've included a deep breathing exercise light guide in Keen that you may read more about here. Please let your child know it's ok to do their habit a little bit, especially in the beginning. Our founder, Aneela, even still pulls a little bit, but the real win for her is that Trichotillomania doesn't have a hold on her anymore. She's taken control and that's what we hope for your child!
Your child can also track their behavior by pushing Keen's button when they do their behavior. When Keen syncs back with the app you can look at the data together and start seeing what times of day impact your child the most. This will help you shift the conversation away from "did you do your habit today?" to "let's look at your Keen stats." By reframing it, your child won't feel blame or shame and that too will have a positive effect. Habits take time to form and take time to reverse, be patient.
We encourage families to visit the TLC Foundation for BFRBs.
TLC Foundation for BFRBs: http://bfrb.org/forparents
(TLC also has a US listing of therapists & in-person support groups)
Facebook Parents Online Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TrichyParenting/
For your child/teen:
TLC Tumblr by their Teen Task Force: http://trichs-n-picks.tumblr.com/about
TLC-Teen run FB Online Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/145377302199347/
And we have a few blog posts that you may find helpful as well:
Ask HabitAware: How do I get my child on board with the Keen smart bracelet?
Tips for Parents of Pullers & Pickers, featuring Natasha Daniels, Childhood Anxiety Expert
Guest Post: Parenting 101 - Back to School with BFRBs (like Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania)