Posts Tagged "elementary"

Positive Guidance for Negative Self-Talk

Positive Guidance for Negative Self-Talk

I smiled when I received this glowing comment in my email from a Montessori guide and mom of 2: "Language of Listening" has been without a doubt THE MOST POWERFUL approach to working with children that I have ever encountered in my 9 years as a Montessori guide (and now 4 years as a parent). I could tell you so many stories about how it's helped me guide my very spirited 4-year old through the...

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I want it! You’re not my friend anymore!

I want it! You’re not my friend anymore!

Do these situations sound familiar? At an in-service training I did for preschool teachers, I was asked a few questions about children fighting. These could come up at home or at school, so I wanted to share them with you. Although these sample responses were designed for younger children, they actually apply to older children as well. That's no surprise when you remember that the Language of...

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True Self-Motivation

True Self-Motivation

When you hit the wall trying to get your child to do something he or she doesn't want to do, check your strategy. Are you trying to change what your child wants? "Of course you want to brush your teeth. You don't want them to fall out, do you?" To your credit, this strategy shows an awareness of what motivates people — wanting. Every parent knows that if only their children wanted to brush...

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“CAN DOs” Work For All Ages

“CAN DOs” Work For All Ages

You don’t have to psychoanalyze your child to offer CAN DOs. Just turn it over to the child with our all-purpose statement, "Hmm. Must be something you can do," and see what comes back. If all you get back is a blank stare, offer some CAN DOs of your own by asking yourself, “What else would work?”  For a young child breaking things out of curiosity, you might try: “You can build a block...

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