Why Do They Do That??
 
Parents and child care providers have one of the most important jobs in the world when it comes to caring for and nurturing young children. We are interacting with them in nurturing relationships during one of the most important times of brain development. Relationships and experiences that the child has during this time period are setting the foundation for all of their relationships for the rest of their lives. The fundamental paradox that parents and child care providers deal with on a daily basis is this, when you react in appropriate and loving ways to the misbehavior of children what we can expect is that they will resist. During this period of resistance, it is difficult to tell if the intervention you are using is working.

As a consultant who works with misbehaving young children for a living, I can tell you that I have yet to find a way to deliver discipline to a young child (or a child of any age for that matter!) that will cause them to immediately cease the problematic behavior and thank you for your astute and loving intervention. What they generally do is resist with all of their power!

    So what’s a loving parent or provider to do? Here are a few thoughts on the matter:
  • Take good care of yourself. No matter what you do they will still misbehave, so be sure to "re-charge" by getting adequate sleep, exercise and contact with other understanding adults.
  • Take time to think. Discipline is an important part of your job, don’t expect yourself to "react" immediately. Think about what you want to do and make a plan.
  • Get Support! This job is too important to do in isolation. Use support groups and training opportunities to make contact with other people who are doing the same job. This is a source of help and information.
  • Remember the positive. Children need regular positive attention and encouragement every day. If we don’t invest our time in the positive we get more negative.
  • Enjoy the good moments and bask in your successes!
Article courtesy of Bridges to Success
 
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