 |
||
 |
||
|
||
 |
| Mary Pat doesn’t fly around with a black umbrella, but she does have 20 years of experience as a Child Development expert. Q. I work for a family with a mom who is at home. Sometimes our discipline techniques are different and I’m concerned about the children getting inconsistent messages. I don’t know how to bring this up with their mom. Help! A.Your concern about the children is genuine and shows how much you care about them. I’d suggest meeting with the Mom to lay down some ground rules. Ask her to set a few minutes aside (without the children present) to talk with you. Take extra care not to sound like you are criticizing her and that the purpose of the conversation is for you to better understand and to mirror her techniques. Tell her about a few specific instances where you felt that the children were confused and ask her to confirm the "family rules" so that you are all in line. You can also use this time to ask for general feedback about your style. The more you communicate and do so on an on-going basis the more likely it is that the relationship will be successful! Q. I work with a toddler who is a sweet and easy-going child, but he has recently started hitting other kids. Why is he doing this and how should I respond? A. Sweet and easy-going are wonderful traits, but toddlers are volatile little creatures. Children between the ages of one and three are learning to walk, talk, share, be kind and take charge of their little world. It's a bumpy road! Toddlers are learning to talk and master all the subtleties of growing up. What a huge job this is! Toddlers tend to feel and express the range of emotions from hugs and kisses to tantrum and tears - sometimes all within a few moments of each other! Often when they are frustrated and just can't draw up the language that they need to ask for something that they so desperately want, they will use their bodies to hit, grab, or worse (bite or scratch) to get their point across. This is a natural stage of development - and one that will pass. Help your toddler by talking and modeling the correct behaviors for them. If they hit and grab a toy from another child at the playground, you can physically return the toy and use words like, " I can see that you want a turn with that shovel, but we need to say, "Can I have a turn please? Hitting hurts and makes her feel bad." Practice this technique and you will help your toddler learn how to "use their words" and you'll feel more in control too. If you have a question you want answered, you can send an e-mail to: mppower@tandcr.com and it will be covered (anonymously) in our next newsletter. |
      |
||