What if it’s NOT the kids, then is it the adults!?
3 Common challenges when visiting family or family visits:
Inflexible mindset
Others are not familiar with your kiddos schedule or needs
“Competition” for time
The Key Takeaways
Don’t be judgmental. Don’t cop an attitude. Don’t get ruffled. Don’t even raise your voice. Share the facts, give the details, offer the choices. And, let it ride!
Oh, These Kids!
Your child is the same child today they were yesterday, 2 weeks ago, and even 2 months ago. If you’re finding challenges popping up, what’s the cause? A new routine? Some developmental hiccups? A change in expectations? Traveling? Any one of these can have an effect on a child’s progress, stability, emotional state/response, sleep habits, eating habits, etc. Instead of worrying, let’s FOCUS on how we pre-empt and respond to these kiddos; as YOU have the power to make a difference.
Supporting Preschool Children with Behavioral Challenges
In recent years, the early childhood sector has shifted from focusing on childcare to family care. This is typically implemented in the following ways:
Early childhood educators are widening their scope of support. Supporting preschool children means supporting their families; suggesting social services for the entire family, sharing resources for proper housing, suggesting employment options, etc. The idea is that the more stable a child’s home life is in the early years, the easier it will be to put them on a path of a positive trajectory.
Educators and guardians are more closely working together to support the child holistically. It is no longer about one type of support in the classroom from the educator, and another type in the home from the guardians. Both parties are now working together to provide consistent early childhood education and care between school and home.
It’s 9:01 p.m. and the kids are FINALLY asleep. I receive a text message and I respond immediately, but that’s the last thing I remember, as I suddenly hear my alarm blaring, it’s 6:45 a.m. I fell asleep in my daughter’s chair, again. These times are indeed hard. As parents, teachers, and those working with children; I get it, there’s an overall sense of utter exhaustion on every level. Perhaps, this feeling of being “overspent” by a never ending need to be flexible, adjust, and retool, but somehow meet all of the same typical needs and expectations, and then some is becoming quite the burden. It’s like driving a car on ice and attempting to remain in control, despite the tailspins. It’s HUMAN to feel this way and how we manage these emotions and concerns will make all the difference and it will be seen and felt through our efforts and our interactions with ourselves, our children, and others.
It’s the first day, you are TRYING with allll of your might to keep it together; trying to be on time, trying to look put together, trying not to cry, and show your kiddos your most confident side (that you can muster after a broken nights’ sleep of less than 6 hours, ahem, and no coffee yet). The first childs’ school drop off: you hold your breath and it goes well, no tears all around for your first. Then, the (partially dreaded) 2nd school drop off, you know the one...you fear the child won’t need to pried-off-of-you-kind!? Ya feel me, keep reading, even if you’re not feeling like a hero for your kiddos in this moment.
Every day without fail, directly following breakfast, your son selects to play with play dough. You are ANNOYED, despite that he’s ready and willing to play happily and independently. Why are you annoyed? Likely because he has LOTS of other toys to play with and because he’s always making a mess with the play dough and then doesn’t bother to clean up afterwards. AMIRITE? Consider a few things: If you don’t want the child to engage in a specific activity, don’t make the activity readily available OR EXPLORE WHY the child is drawn to a specific activity AND what can be changed to encourage cleanup to be part of the process. Often times, it’s a matter of reframing what the child already knows and sharing it back to them (and usually) without judgement. It is also possible that the child does not understand that the play dough will become ruined and he may need to experience the natural consequence of seeing the play dough dried out and ruined to understand the importance of taking care of his toys or belongings. OR, maybe, this activity is a “default” activity for him because it’s “safe”, familiar, and doesn’t feel challenging. How can the activity be modified to spark his curiosity and further exploration? What if using play dough promoted hand strength, encouraged writing, and offered opportunities for counting activities. The play dough activity could be the beginning of so much learning, just imagine the possibilities!
By implementing these strategies and preparing the environment and the child, they learn (natural) key times to use the bathroom in coordination with a familiar and consistent routine, using the bathroom becomes a habit! Toileting is a process that comes together by learning a variety of skills, so the process of learning takes place over time.
What is Home Day Hero? Some days are school days, while other days are home days, such as the weekends, holidays, sick days, and days that school or daycare is closed. When you are at home with your child, YOU are THE HERO! How will you be a hero on your home days? Home Day Hero’s Montessori Inspired Solutions to the rescue! Born from the idea that Montessori components can easily be implemented at home with tips and tricks from a certified Montessorian (Montessori teacher), that’s me! Follow along in my adventures through teaching hundreds of children and raising my own kiddos.
Have you found yourself stuck in a parenting rut? Digging your heels in the mud for the sake of a power struggle? By establishing expectations, you can shape your experience and your child’s by disengaging in power struggles through being consistent.
Your Child’s Bedroom - SIMPLE is best. A child’s room can GROW with them AND change over time. HEROES would not allow the “pressure” of nesting to cloud their ability to allow for a simplistic space to exist that meets your child's basic needs: Eat, Sleep, Diapering, and Play.
