"I NEED TO KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT ...
Please give me a structured environment where there is a dependable routine.
Give me an advance warning if there will be changes. " - Author Unknown
I first learned this concept from my sister. I didn't have any children at the time, so you know it was unusual for me to notice. Her kids (7 and 2 years old) were playing and she told them they had five more minutes to play and then they would need to eat lunch. It struck me because (a) I'd never seen anyone do that before, and (b) it seemed so reasonable, fair and...polite.
I mean, I remember being a kid - well, parts of it...little parts of it. But I DO remember playing the piano and being asked to stop and set the table. Now.
I was not the rebellious type kid (I suspect that was why Mom usually tapped me for the table setting job) but, I did occasionaly experience selective deafness. Asking me to stop in the middle of a piece...honestly, would it kill her to let me finish "Wedding in Birdland"? It's not like I was in the middle of the "Warsaw Concerto"!
Yeah, kids need time to adjust from one activity to another and the younger they are, or the more intense they are, the more time they need. Plus, as I said, it's polite. And kids learn their behavior from...
...you guessed it...
You.
Blessings on you
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Very good point. As a parent I have done both. Usually the 5 minute warning is given, but by golly, if they don't decide to listen to that - NOW! seems to slip out more easily. :)
Transition time is important for children. Knowing what to expect and how the process is going work. Some kids just need more and that is okay.
Patience and Politeness. Seems a very good pair to me.
Post a Comment