Posts Tagged "mean"

How to Respond to “Bad” Intentions

How to Respond to “Bad” Intentions

Responding to your child's intentions rather than their actions can bring out their greatness in an instant. When a child makes a mistake or accidentally damages something or hurts someone, recognizing the child's true intention and pointing it out tells them that you understand the real them. The relief they feel is instant, and knowing you are on their side allows them to apologize from the...

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Trouble at Preschool

Trouble at Preschool

How do you react when your child tells you they did something that they know you won't like and just looks at you? If you brace yourself for a show-down, or start correcting or lecturing, that's a reaction to a judgment. The judgment might be something like "rebellious" or maybe even "stubborn," if you know your child knew you wouldn't like what they did, but did it anyway. How can you stop...

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“I hate you. You’re mean!”

“I hate you. You’re mean!”

Do you dread hearing, "I hate you. You're mean!" from your normally sweet child? Here's what's behind it and a reply to turn things around. What's Behind It Kids often say "I hate you. You're mean!" to parents, grandparents, or other children in a boundary situation when they can't do or have something they want. Particularly if that phrase troubles you or you have made it a taboo, they say it to...

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Ending Reactive Parenting

Ending Reactive Parenting

Ever feel like you are stuck in a cycle of negativity? A mom of two young children was, and she expressed her frustration in the comments of one of Rachel Macy Stafford's Hands Free Mama blog posts The Manager in My Home & the Five Words that Changed Everything. Thanks to a standing invitation from Rachel to assist her readers and share our public dialogs, I was able to offer this mom an...

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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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