Art for Big Little Hearts

Connected Parenting Through Healing Art Exercises

Welcome! I’m Andrea Cardenal, a certified Therapeutic Art Practitioner, Fine Artist, Art Teacher, Writer, and passionate advocate for connected parenting. I believe in the transformative power of art to strengthen relationships, promote emotional well-being, and nurture self-expression. Through this workshop, we will use creativity as a bridge to deepen the connection between you and your child, helping both of you understand emotions, communication, resilience, and self-awareness in a fun and engaging way.

Introduction to the Course

Parenting is one of the most meaningful, yet challenging, journeys we embark on. As parents, we strive to nurture our children with love, patience, and guidance, yet we often struggle with understanding their emotions, responding to their needs, and balancing our own well-being. Children, in turn, experience big emotions they don’t always know how to express.

Art is a powerful tool that helps us explore emotions, strengthen relationships, and work through struggles in creative and constructive ways. This course is designed to give you and your child a structured space for emotional connection through guided art activities. Together, you will:

• Learn to express feelings through creativity.
• Develop emotional regulation and constructive communication skills.
• Build trust, empathy, and understanding between parent and child.
• Cultivate patience, resilience, and a growth mindset.
• Have fun and explore new ways to connect!

Each week, we’ll focus on a different core value or emotional skill, using therapeutic art exercises to explore and reinforce these themes.

Workshop Objectives:

By the end of this 8-week program, parents and children will:
o Deepen their bond through shared creative experiences.
o Improve emotional awareness by identifying, expressing, and processing feelings.
o Develop self-regulation skills through art-based mindfulness and calming techniques.
o Enhance communication by learning how to listen, validate, and express thoughts and emotions constructively.
o Build resilience, patience, and self-confidence through creative problem-solving and artistic exploration.
o Practice virtues like responsibility, kindness, persistence, and self-motivation in a hands-on way.

Course Outline – 8-Week Journey

Week 1: Identifying and Expressing Feelings
• Overview: Emotions can be big, overwhelming, and sometimes hard to name. Art helps externalize these feelings, making them easier to understand and work through.
• Takeaway: Feelings are normal, and naming them helps us handle them better.
Week 2: Validating Emotions & Safe Expression
• Overview: Children need to feel heard and understood. Learning to validate their emotions creates security and trust.
• Takeaway: All emotions are valid, but how we express them matters.
Week 3: Calming the Mind & Body
• Overview: Emotional regulation is key to healthy relationships. This week focuses on grounding techniques to manage big emotions.
• Takeaway: When we pause and breathe, we can choose how to respond rather than react.
Week 4: Constructive Communication & Active Listening
• Overview: Communication is more than words. Art can be a tool for expressing needs and listening with empathy.
• Takeaway: Listening and speaking with care strengthens our relationships.
Week 5: Change & Letting Go
• Overview: Change is a natural part of life, and learning to adapt makes us more resilient.
• Takeaway: Change can be difficult, but it also brings new opportunities.
Week 6: Doing Hard Things & Persistence
• Overview: Perseverance and resilience are essential for personal growth. This week helps children develop confidence in facing challenges.
• Takeaway: Mistakes are not failures—they are opportunities to grow.
Week 7: Responsibility, Choices & Self-Motivation
• Overview: Taking responsibility for our actions and making good choices leads to personal success.
Week 8: Celebrating Growth & Connection
• Overview: Reflecting on our journey helps reinforce what we’ve learned and strengthens the parent-child bond.
• Takeaway: Growth is ongoing, and every step forward matters.

Next Steps

This 8-week journey is just the beginning. Through these creative exercises, parents and children develop skills that extend far beyond the workshop. The goal is for families to continue using art as a tool for connection, communication, and emotional well-being.

Before we part, we will:
• Reflect on key takeaways from the program.
• Create a personal action plan for keeping the connection alive at home.
• Celebrate with a small exhibition of the artwork created over the weeks.

This workshop is a space for love, learning, and growing together. Thank you for embarking on this creative journey with me!