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How to support a child through their sadness
Supporting children through their sadness can be challenging. It is often hard to hear our sweet child say ‘‘I’m sad my friend is moving away” or “I’m sad because a kid at school didn’t want to play with me”. Words like “I’m sad the holiday is over” or “I’m sad my favourite teacher is retiring” can be difficult to hear. Please note: the following article does not address prolonged sadness And it sometimes happens that when our child comes to us saying ‘I’m sad that…’, we often ‘but’ them, saying things like: ‘I know, BUT you’re gonna visit your friend next month’ when their friend is moving away. ‘I see,…
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How to support children overcome their fear of dogs
Fear of dogs can keep our children safe. And it can also prevent them from enjoying life, visiting family members, or playing in the park. Luckily, there are things we can do to support children overcome their fear. In the previous article on the topic we talked about how we can use play to help our children conquer their fear through giggles and laughter. In this article we will talk about how we can use listening to support our children release the fear through crying, sweating, or trembling. What is ‘the edge of the fear’? I want to start by introducing a term used by psychologist Lawrence Cohen in his book, ‘Playful…
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What does hitting children actually teach them?
Spanking or hitting is a tool that has been used for generations. Even if in some countries it is now illegal, it is still used worldwide with the hope of teaching children ‘a lesson’ of safety, obedience, good manners, self-control and so on. But what do children feel and really learn when they are hit by their parents/caregivers? “Hitting a child doesn’t teach them that the road or stove or the outlet isn’t safe. It teaches them that the person hitting them isn’t safe.” – L. R. Knost When the child is hurt by the person to whom they should run for safety, they get stuck: ‘My parent should keep…
