The Seven C’s: Helping kids cope with addiction
Many children who grow up with addiction in their family feel responsible for their family member’s substance use disorder. They often say things like “If I didn’t laugh so loud or didn’t fight with my siblings, my mom or dad wouldn’t use drugs or alcohol.”
The Seven C’s©, originally created by Jerry Moe, is a powerful tool to help children understand that they are not to blame. The first half of the Seven C’s emphasizes that children are not responsible for a family member’s substance use or misuse. The second half focuses on healthy coping skills, such as communicating feelings and practicing self-care. These messages are woven into the activities at each Camp Mariposa weekend.
Each child who attends Camp Mariposa receives a lanyard with a laminated copy of the 7 C’s card. Children refer to the card throughout the camp weekend. Many children also receive a laminated copy of the card to take home and use as a reminder in between camp weekends. If you know a child who lives with a family member who struggles with a substance use disorder, you can print out the attached 7 C’s card and share it with them.
I didn’t CAUSE it, I can’t CONTROL it, I can’t CURE it, BUT I can take CARE of myself, by COMMUNICATING my feelings, making good CHOICES and CELEBRATING myself.
