A Great Idea from the "Love and Logic" people!

I receive "Love and Logic" tips via email on a regular basis and found this one to be particularly applicable for our little people.  We regularly use techniques such as this one within our program . . . . . . as "Love and Logic" fits hand-in-hand with our "High Scope" curriculum.  Yes, it really does work!  Enjoy!

Miss Mel

Have you ever noticed how frustrated many small children get when they try to do something "big" and it doesn't work out?

One parent commented to me, "Every time my three-year-old has trouble putting on her socks, reaching the soap in the bathroom, getting her zipper zipped, or anything else, she throws a huge screaming fit."

It has to be horribly frustrating for little ones to find themselves struggling to do things that just aren't working out! It's also frustrating for parents to hear the screaming! In our home, we've tried all sorts of ineffective techniques, such as trying to do it for them, bossing them around about how they should do the task, and even screaming about their screaming.

The technique that works like a charm involves the following five steps:

Step One: Empathize.

"Oh, that must be so frustrating."

Step Two: Hand the problem back to your child.

"What do you think you are going to do?"

Step Three: Ask for permission to share some ideas.

"Would you like to hear what other kids have tried?"

Step Four: Give them three or four simple ideas and ask, "How will that work for you?"

"Some kids decide… How will that work for you?"

Step Five: Allow them to learn through experimentation.

"Good luck. If you need any more ideas, let me know."

Just the other day, our three-year-old was screaming because his toy "digger" wasn't digging the hard dirt in the garden. After he heard some solutions and decided to try it in his sandbox instead, he smiled from ear to ear.

http://loveandlogic.com/