Praise, praise, praise! When children are expressing their feelings appropriately, let them know you like what you hear. Remember, the behaviors you pay attention to are the behaviors that are being reinforced. Catch your children behaving.
Becka has a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education and Development, and has 17 years experience in the field. She is a Certified Parent Educator and Licensed Baby, Toddler, and Preschool Sign Language Instructor. You can visit her site, at www.learnandgrowtogether.com
Proud Mama To
Great tip! If we want our children to express themselves, it is important to pay attention when they do. Empathy is an important reinforcer of this skill. Reflecting your child's feeling back to them lets them know they've been heard, but sometimes by hearing the sentiment from someone else, they begin the process of recovering from that feeling.
ReplyDeleteEmpathy doesn't mean agreeing with their sentiment, but acknowledging it.
I write about these ideas in my new book, Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking: Powerful, Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility and Happiness. Being able to express yourself appropriately and effectively is a key skill of resiliency.
Tamar Chansky
www.freeingyourchild.com