The 2 Factors For A Pleasant Experience
Unless your child is a very young baby and lying perfectly still while you apply a massage treatment, chances are that YOUR child will have everything else in mind but lying still.
Our own son was such a child when he was a baby. In fact, he still is, but now at the age of 2 years, he started to take over a more active role (i.e. he started tapping himself) ;-). This makes things so much easier.
But we have heard the feedback of hundreds of parents and we do know that a moving child makes it so much more difficult for our students to apply a treatment.
First of all: keep in mind that Shonishin was developed specifically for the purpose of treating children and babies, because it is so difficult to treat them with acupuncture (BECAUSE THEY MOVE A LOT). So the fact that your child is moving has always been factored in.
But there are two ways how to make the entire process a bit smoother:
1. Speed
2. Distraction
Of course, when you are only getting started, you won't be that fast. That's the very reason, why we recommend our students to first try to find acupressure points and meridians on themselves or their partners. Because then it will be easier for you to find them on your child. As a result, you will be much faster which is a HUGE advantage ;-)
The other thing is distraction: distracting your child while you apply the treatment is the key to a pleasant experience for both of you. So, do not hesitate to give your baby or older child a toy or a low-sugar treat (depending on your child's age), when you massage your child!
In our experience, what works really well is if you give your child something she is not familiar with. This can be a kitchen tool, headphones, a new toy etc. So be prepared to have something nearby in case you need it!
And finally, we often apply Shonishin while kids are moving. For example, we tap them while they are crawling, or sitting and playing with a toy. That's easy ONCE you know the location of the acupressure points.
Keep in mind: as you are getting more experienced, things will become so much easier. So, be persistent! You are the boss, not your little one! Act accordingly! ;-)