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.
However, simply demanding an end to a battle does not help children learn how to prevent the next one from getting out of control as well. Instead, we, as parents, need to equip our children with tactical plans for working out their problems with others.
Since my own children don’t tend to hit or kick, simply demanding that they use their words does not mean much to them. They are already using their words. The words they have chosen, however, are either mean and hurtful or they are at a volume level that makes our pets run for cover.
Instead of waiting for the next skirmish to develop, take the time during times of peace to work with your children on developing appropriate words to solve some typical childhood dilemmas. For example, you make act out scenarios that involve a toy being taken away by another child or what to do if another child hits you. Come up with a couple of dialogue phrases that a child can always fall back on, such as, “That hurts my feelings” or “Please don’t do that.”
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Written by Laura on April 13, 2011
It never fails. Each time our extended family is gathered for a special occasion, my mother-in-law, at some point during the festivities will take great delight in the misbehavior of our children. She will sometimes just snicker or chuckle to herself, but typically, she announces how happy she is to see that “The Mother’s Curse” has come true
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Written by Laura on March 18, 2011
It all starts with the baby book. Everyone told me that it would be much less complete than that of my first child. I told myself I would never let that happen. And yet, if you compare the two, indeed my first born’s has something written on every page. When you gaze upon my younger son’s book, it is immediately clear that something changed. Life has happened.
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Written by Laura on January 14, 2011
My three-year-old, Elliot, hates to see his big brother leave on the school bus each morning. He cries and moans, “I wanna play with Brennen.” Over the next six hours, he then asks repeatedly if it is time to go get his brother off the bus. When the time finally arrives, Elliot is a ball of glee literally jumping up and down at the thought of Brennen coming home to play. As Brennen
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Written by Laura on November 1, 2010
I am very fortunate to be able to stay home with my children. I know one day I will have to go back to work, but for now, this is the best job in the world. My husband loves that he is able to provide for his family. He cherishes the fact that I am able to be here to raise our children. It is a blessing neither of us take lightly.
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Written by Laura on October 8, 2010
About three weeks ago, my older son and I made our six-month visit to our family dentist. My son went first and, although nervous, he sat nicely and followed the hygienist’s directions. He grinned wildly when the dentist announced he didn’t have any cavities. He doesn’t really know what cavities are, but he knew he was now allowed to put his name in the “No Cavity Club&#
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Written by Laura on March 10, 2010
rennen has light blonde hair. Elliot has brown hair. Brennen eats like a bird. Elliot eats like a horse. Brennen likes structure and order. Elliot prefers spontaneity and chaos. These two children couldn’t be more different, and yet, they are brothers. Perhaps it has to do with birth order or maybe God just wanted to chuckle at his own creative abilities. Whatever the reason, my boy
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Written by Laura on January 9, 2010
A few weeks ago, I was in the grocery store where my four-year-old, Brennen, decided to throw his loudest, most obnoxious tantrum of his entire short life so far here on this planet. It began when we were at the entrance of the store, and had to select the perfect grocery cart. This particular store has about four different types of carts from which to choose, including cars in several varieties
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Written by Laura on September 23, 2009
Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence to teach your preschooler the joy of reading and writing.
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