The trunk of our tree is about ways of building good relationships in our family and with our children.

The following questions can help to come up with ideas for the trunks of our Trees:
• What do you enjoy doing with your family, children and friends?
• Think about what people in your family did with you that felt good and safe?
• Think about others who showed you they cared in a good, safe way. What were those ways?
• Were there things you saw other people doing that you think would be good for relationship building?
• When there is a good relationship, what do you see people doing or hear them saying?
• They don’t have to be big things, often it’s the little things like ‘spending time’ that count.

Yarning time about the ‘trunk’: Questions to expand the stories

• What is the history, the story of this way to build relationships? When and how did you learn about this?
• Who helped you learn this way of building relationships?
• When/how do you carry this into your relationships with the children in your family?
• Would the person who introduced you to this idea know that you are carrying it on?
• How might they feel about that?
• If you want to start or do more of this with your family, how could you do that?

‘Home Yarning’ for Trunk

Yarn with your family about what you put on the trunk of your tree. Yarn with your family about their stories:
• What do they think builds good relationships?
• What do older family members remember doing as children with their families or their Elders?
• Take action: do some of what you have put on the trunk of your tree!