If there's one thing I know about small children is that they function much better if they know what's coming. If they have to give up their turn, it helps them a great deal to be forewarned. "One more minute Eli, and then it's Evie's turn" is something I say many times a day, and it just makes everything run smoothly.
This concept also helps when something fun is going to end. You know how children love to do things over and over? A great way to handle this is to say, "Okay, this is the last one." The fact that they get to do it once more before it ends makes a world of difference.
Another example is when there is work to be done. If a child knows in advance that there is a job to be done, he is much more able to happily comply than if it is sprung on him suddenly. This can be done several ways:
1) Simply let them know before an activity ends, that after it's over you will be cleaning up.
2) At breakfast write a work/play list where you plan the activities you'll be doing that day. This way they will be able to anticipate that there will be some work and some fun. This parallels life, so why not instill this notion early?
3) Kids will work hard when anticipating a fun activity. For example, if you are going to do fingerpainting, let the kids know that as soon as their room is cleaned up, they get to go paint. This instills that work comes before play. Also, because they are anticipating a fun activity, they will work quickly, and learn how efficiently they can complete a task.
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1 comment:
I LOVE this bit of advice. I will use it - especially the list making of work and play.
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