You know, recently I was talking to my daughter, who is 25 years old.  I told her that I didn't allow her to express her feelings when she was younger, and I'm just learning to do this as an adult.  I always tried to make things okay, jump in their with a solution, and sugar coat the experience.  Thus, she never got to fully express what she was feeling.  And when the emotion, the energy, doesn't have an outlet, it stays stuffed inside, only to come out at a later time. 

I'm now seeing the bigger picture of what happens when kids don't get to fully express themselves.  That energy stays there through adulthood, just looking for an opening.  We've heard that reference, "He's a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off."  It's because there hasn't been a safe place to express these opposing viewpoints, those thoughts, throughout childhood, and thus, this energy builds and builds until it has to be discharged in whatever fashion it can.

When we safely give children a venue, a sacred space, to release these emotions, we give them permission to be who they are.  We don't deny any part of them, and create a boundary of "these are the only emotions that you can display."  In this total self acceptance, they learn that all emotions are permissible.

Using EFT, along with a stuffed animal, for children creates a comfortable setting in which to release the emotions, the energy, that wants to come out.  Can you imagine having this be a part of the curriculum in schools, and having a space in the classroom to do so? And then carrying that into the home so that full expression is just part of our daily lives.

You could simply show them how to tap on the 8 points, or only a few points, and say something like this:

Even though I'm feeling scared, I'm a great kid anyway.  Even though I don't think I can pass this test, I'm a great kid anyway.

These are just two simple reference points for whatever is inside. 

We can all totally relate to being children, and not thinking that it was okay to express fear because we just didn't think anyone would listen to us "being afraid."  Remember, just simply ignoring it won't cause it to go away.  It's there, and will stay there until it is triggered. 

Using EFT with children sets up a totally different environment in which to convey that all emotions are healthy when given a space in which to do so.  Like Eckhart Tolle says, creating space is the greatest thing we can do for humanity.