Warm fuzzies....and cold pricklies?

I might be the only one who experienced these....

Our career counselor in elementary school met with certain children who had family issues....

She did the "free to be...." series..and it used "warm fuzzies" and "cold pricklies".

*the warm fuzzies were litte puffs of yarn with eyes - I can't remember what the col pricklies looked like.

I found the "free to be.." album several years ago- how fun to listen to the songs I heard over and over again.

It was meant to be an empowering program. I remember looking forward to being with the handful of kids and doing this.

D.

Danita, we used warm fuzzies on retreats in my all girl catholic school. Who wouldn't like receiving warm fuzzies. Now I call them affirmations. I think of warm fuzzies whenever someone encourages another. Ther are lots of warm fuzzies in these forums.

Tell me more about cold pricklies?

The warm fuzzies and cold pricklies were actually objects that were part of the workshop.

Did you actually have warm fuzzies that you passed around?

The cold prickles were probably plastic (funny how I don't remember those so clearly).... they taught us that when we use negative words or statements that we are giving people "cold pricklies". LOL

d.

Danita, I remember this stuff. I distinctly remember the "warm fuzzies" and "cold pricklies" terminology from various training sessions while working as a camp counsellor at a residential summer camp throughout my teen years. We used smiles, hugs and kind words as our warm fuzzies, and cranky frowns, negative body language and harsh voices as examples of cold pricklies.

I remember the "Free to Be" music from my work as a daycare teacher. Wasn't the album narrated by Marlo Thomas?

I am not sure what you are all talking about . Do you mean those slippers I had that were blue and fuzzy . I love them when I was in high School on a cold winter night. Am I on another planet?

The warm fuzzies and cold pricklies phenomena grew out of a children's storybook by Claude Steiner that was popular in the late 60's, early 70's. You can read a variation of the story here:
http://www.emotional-literacy.com/fuzzy.htm

The concept of warm fuzzies became a teaching/training tool for people who worked with children. It also became a tool for psychiatrists working within the Transactional Analysis personality evolution theory, which essentially declared that "folks need strokes", thus the importance of giving out warm fuzzies versus cold pricklies.

Back in 7th grade, we had a class called Lifeline. It was taught by our guidance counselor. We had the "warm fuzzies" and "cold pricklies" but we didn't have any visuals. The class was basically about self esteem and conflict resolution. Each week the counselor chose one person in the class to receive warm fuzzies from everyone else. We had to write on little slips of paper a warm fuzzie, and the chosen person could read the collected slips at his/her leisure. My most memorable warm fuzzie was from an egghead in the class who wrote, "To a girl who doesn't like flies' eyes."
The class ended up being a failed experiment which ended with us. I didn't know the concepts originated from a book.
Marie

Eagle,

Thanks for finding that link! I did some research yesterday, came up with the story, almost posted it - but it was tooo long. (never thought of posting the link though! lol)

kat, that is soo funny "the girl that likes flies eyes". Leave it to a 7th grade boy. Failed experiment - what a bummer! LOL

I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers this era of "personal growth"...and you are right Dots, there are LOTS of warm fuzzies on this forum (and a few cold pricklies dropped now and then)

warm, fuzzy, boomer sister hugs,
danita