Most often throughout the day, I am very focused on all of the wonderful things my preschooler has to tell me. In any given day, I may learn about his new friend at preschool, a piece of artwork he just made, or why he is going to be a superhero, named Jack, when he grows up.
Sometimes, however, he becomes either too excited about what he is saying or unfocused on his conversation, and his words do not flow quite as easily. There may be long pauses or he may even stop mid-sentence. At these times, I must remember to let him finish what he was saying.
It can be difficult not to put words in his mouth because we, as adults, have so many things we are trying to do that we try to hurry along everything, including our four-year-old’s conversation. It is important, however, to let our children finish their sentences.
Sometimes my son will get so lost in what he was saying that I may refocus the conversation. For example, if he is saying, “Uh…uh…uh…” or otherwise seems as though he has forgotten about what he was speaking, I may say something such as, “Ethan, I am confused. You were telling me about how you are going to build a tower. What is the tower for?” This is usually enough to get him refocused on what he was saying, and he is able to finish the conversation.
There are, of course, several techniques you can use. The most important one, however, is patience. Try not to put words in the mouth of your child. Think of how frustrating that would be if another adult tried to finish your sentences. A preschooler would feel the same way.
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Written by Laura on December 7, 2011
Although taking time out of your busy day to sit down and watch an episode of “Dora the Explorer” may not be high on your priority list, you can bet that watching a favorite television program is somewhere near the top of your child’s “Favorite Things to Do” list. You can take advantage of this passion by using it to help your child develop pre-reading skills.
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Written by Laura on September 16, 2011
Emotions just happen. There isn’t any way to stop them from happening, but you can control how you deal with emotions you are having. However, this comes only with a lot of experience and practice that small children simply haven’t had yet. One of the biggest challenges for youngsters when it comes to dealing with feelings is that they are still learning what they are and how to ide
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Written by Laura on June 22, 2011
I have two little boys; a five-year-old and a three-year-old. At times, they get along wonderfully. At others, however, you would think that World War III has broken out in our home. Although they don’t typically fight physically with each other, the arguing, screaming, and yelling is enough for any parent to command a cease-fire.
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Written by Laura on April 13, 2011
When your child was very young and just starting to take an interest in books, you probably noticed that your child’s library consisted almost entirely of thick board books that contained brightly colored pictures with very few words. In general, toddlers have not yet made the connection between the words on the page and the story they are telling. However, parents are able to help them ma
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Written by BRWI Staff on March 14, 2011
Sometimes the “Why?” questions can be overwhelming due to the sheer number of them. At other times, they are overwhelming because we are not quite sure how to answer them. However, these questions can also be used as a jumping point for us to get our children thinking and speaking beyond our typical, daily conversations.
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Written by Laura on January 28, 2011
My three-year-old has an imagination that goes non-stop. When his older brother isn’t home, and he is able to spend some time playing on his own, I love to listen to him taking control of the imaginary situation and playing all of the roles in whatever scene he has scripted in his mind.
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Written by Laura on January 5, 2011
Giving clues about an item without actually revealing its identity can be a difficult task for a young child. It is a critical thinking skill that takes practice. Learning to tell another person details about an object also helps a child develop their observation skills. The activity described below uses very simple items found in nearly any home with a preschool child, but it provides a wonder
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 17, 2010
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I attended our kindergartner’s “Back-to-School” night. His teacher had done a wonderful job preparing her classroom along with a scavenger hunt in which the parents could learn about the various areas of the classroom and school. One of my favorite areas was the writing center where parents were encouraged to write a letter and put it in th
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Written by Laura on September 20, 2010
Why is it that we, as human beings, seem to focus so much on the negative characteristics of a person? Perhaps it is because they seem to stick out more or maybe it is because the negative attributes elicit a more powerful emotional response. Whatever the reason, it takes practice and focus to concentrate and react to the positive attributes of a person. This includes those of our own children.
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Written by Laura on August 13, 2010
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