Posts Tagged "frustration"

Why I Let Kids Cry

Why I Let Kids Cry

When you hear a child crying, what is your first reaction? If it's a child you know, you might have an impulse to rush to their aid and fix the problem for them ASAP. If you can't do that, you may feel the need to do something to at least distract them or cheer them up. If you follow our blog or have taken our classes, you have probably heard about our technique for facilitating tantrums. In a...

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Whining: Can You Be Helpless?

Whining: Can You Be Helpless?

It's easy to smile and say, "Sure!" when a child asks you for help pleasantly. But what about when the child whines and says "I can't"? If that puts you on edge, this article is for you. What stops us from helping children who are acting helpless is the belief that by providing help we will be affirming that they need it. But if we withhold assistance and try to push them into...

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I Love My Body (Seriously!)

I Love My Body (Seriously!)

Growing up as a cis girl in 21st century America, I had my fair share of body issues. I actually didn't notice or start worrying about my weight until I was 14, which makes me one of the lucky ones (I knew an elementary schooler on a self-imposed diet). I distinctly remember looking in the mirror at age 12, and thinking how pretty I was, because being perfect exactly the way I am has always been...

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Q & A: Contrary Child

Q & A: Contrary Child

One of our readers, Jab, asked a great question in a comment on "The Importance of Validation" about situations where SAYing WHAT YOU SEE doesn't seem to work. As often happens here at Language of Listening, what started as a quick response turned in to a full-blown blog post! Jab asked: "I’m not having much success with SWYS. I must be missing something about it. For example when my daughter...

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Undoing Harsh Words

Undoing Harsh Words

For a number of years, I assisted Rachel Macy Stafford with replies to readers' comments on her powerful HandsFreeMama blog. Rachel's posts are deeply moving and motivational accounts of real-life moments with her daughters and evoke an outpouring of emotional responses like this one from the mother of a 4-year-old who was struggling to find her patience. This reader's comment and my reply are...

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