our family deck has launched
I recently launched the Family Deck and all three decks made their debut at a market a few weeks ago where I received some lovely feedback from parents and teachers. The aim of these decks are to encourage adults and kids to talk and share their views. The prompts are simple and all open to interpretation. Nothing inappropriate or concerning so don't worry.
It's no secret that children have struggled to develop their social skills since the pandemic, especially the ones born during it. These kids will now be starting school where they're expected to interact with their classmates, which can be tricky. This Guardian article summarises an Ofsted report that looked into the impact of numerous lockdowns on primary school aged children and the repercussions its had on their learning.
Now I'm not saying these cards are the answer to a much wider concern, but there was a missing demographic that I hadn't served through my decks and that was the children, teens and young adults. Parents in my network have told me it's hard to get their kids to talk due to technology distractions, a simple lack of interest in having normal day-to-day conversations, or as mentioned above, the pandemic has impacted their ability to do so. So here we are, experimenting with a family deck.
I can also appreciate this might be something new for adults and hard to navigate, so I'm highlighting a few tips on how to effectively use the Family Decks and spark meaningful conversations between you and the youngsters. For context, we have three decks on offer and each deck has 15 prompts - one for kids aged 5-10, one for older kids aged 11-16, and one for young adults aged 17+.
keep a deck near the dining table, in the car or in your bag so it's easy to pick up and play.
try to answer a prompt if it makes sense to. It needs to be a two-way conversation, otherwise it can feel like an interrogation.
make sure everyone knows it's a safe space free of judgement, and encourage honesty and reflection.
using the deck as a 'game' can make it easier. Pick from a pile or put all cards face down. This way nobody knows what to expect and everyone's playing with the same unknowns.
if you disagree with someone's answer, sit with that discomfort and try to understand where they're coming from.
encourage further dialogue if it's appropriate to do so. Don't do it because you're expecting a certain answer and want to fish it out.
take your time with the prompts and don't rush the conversation. You don't need to finish the entire deck in one sitting.
pass the decks around to other people. You'll be amazed at how different everyone's experiences are with the same set of prompts and what they took away from the experience.
Each deck is £10 and we have a bundle offer - 3 for £25 (mix + match from the family deck)
