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What Do I Do When My Child Bites? (Or hits, or kicks or pushes)

Posted by Jessica Milburn on

What Do I Do When My Child Bites? (Or hits, or kicks or pushes)

Children are still developing language and coping skills so often they use physical gestures to get their point across. There can be a variety of messages they are trying to send. Finding the message behind the behaviour is the key to understanding what motivated them to behave that way. A bite is a knee-jerk reaction, not a calculated plan of revenge. Try to keep that in mind when helping your child cope with aggressive behaviours, such as biting. For the Audiobook versions of most articles go to: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reedz-learning-is-everything/id1551597303 If your child bites and then laughs at you, this can trigger feelings...

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To say goodbye or not to say goodbye, that is the question: Why say goodbye when it makes my child cry?

Posted by Jessica Milburn on

To say goodbye or not to say goodbye, that is the question: Why say goodbye when it makes my child cry?

It can seem counterintuitive to do something that you know will make your child cry and even worse, you make them cry and then leave them with someone else (gasp!). It can be so hard that some parents start feeling anxiety before they even arrive at child care, and who can blame them? It is incredibly difficult to walk away from your crying child. The reality is, goodbyes are hard for small children, and their parents. Having sad feelings about that is okay, and actually evidence of secure attachment. The approach of leaving without saying goodbye only buffers the caregiver...

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How Do Children Learn About Sharing? Being obligated to share teaches obedience, not generousity

Posted by Jessica Milburn on

How Do Children Learn About Sharing? Being obligated to share teaches obedience, not generousity

Imagine you were reading the complimentary paper at Starbucks and out of nowhere, someone comes up and swipes it off your table and says “my turn.” When you look up at the Starbucks employee with a stunned look, she says “at Starbucks we encourage sharing.” Now in this situation, who would be the rude person? The person swiping the paper, of course, and who would be the unreasonable person? The Starbucks employee who is talking to you like you’re the one in the wrong. Not the person who didn’t want to “share” their paper. Why is it ok to do this to...

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Link to Wordpress Blog

Posted by Jessica Milburn on

www.responsiveparentingblog.com

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Leaving the Playground Peacefully: Empathizing Your Way to Easier Transitions and Conflict Free Exits

Posted by Jessica Milburn on

Leaving the Playground Peacefully: Empathizing Your Way to Easier Transitions and Conflict Free Exits

When your child’s personal agenda does not match your own, it can be challenging. This is a daily (sometimes hourly) challenge that we all have to face, regardless of parenting style. It becomes even more difficult to stay true to yourself, and not allow the perceived judgements of others to influence our actions, when these moments happen in public, and even worse when they happen in front of other parents (gasp!). Because although we are all facing similar challenges, in the moment when your child won’t leave the playground, you feel as though your child is the only one who...

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