Behavior & Environment
Power struggles are one of the most common behavior challenges in working with kids. Children are hard-wired to differentiate themselves from others around them and from a young age, explore their own power and independence. That exploration is a good thing, although it can feel like anything but when we’re in the middle of it […]
As caregivers, we work hard to teach kids the skills they need for all kinds of things. We help them understand and stay within our expectations, learn the ropes of friendships, scale the tower at their favorite park, and so much more. We sometimes forget that within all those lessons, we have to allow space […]
Sometimes it’s hard to see things from a kid’s perspective and stay in the supportive role that’s needed for positive guidance. When we’re tired, stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, impatient, or whatever emotion is keeping us from being our best selves, we sometimes see a child’s challenging behavior as personal, on purpose, unjustified, or just over the […]
Positive parenting can be challenging, but whether you’re just starting out or are already a pro, here’s a quick and easy tactic you can try today: Ask questions! It’s one of the best tools in your caregiver toolkit. Let’s explore the Positive Discipline tool, “Asking vs. Telling.” Telling: When you give a child a command, […]
How do the kids you care for respond to a child who is displaying a challenging behavior or has made a mistake? Do they make fun of them, ignore them, ostracize them, or support them? Teaching kids to be supportive of siblings, friends, classmates, playmates, and that random kid on the playground is a gift […]
Often when faced with a child’s challenging behavior we think, “How can I help them change that behavior?” In many situations, the question we should be asking is, “How can I change the environment to support this child and their challenges?” When kids are learning a new skill, including emotion and behavior management, they need […]
We often neglect the importance of environment and routines for our kids, even school aged ones. If you’ve been struggling to get your kids to do their homework timely, follow these tips to make homework time more effective and less stressful: 1. Make sure their basic needs are met before you start. Before kids can […]
It’s our job as caregivers to teach our kids the skills they need to navigate all the different situations life presents. We do this in lots of ways, one of the most important and simplest is talking to them. Not all conversations are impactful, many are just part of the daily business of being together. […]
Routines are the framework for smooth running days when working with kids. Routines give kids the consistency they need to feel safe, navigate transitions, and manage their emotions and behaviors. To help kids understand the daily routines you can use routine charts. Routine charts are helpful tools that outline what tasks you do and in […]
All kids have social and emotional needs that we need to meet throughout the day. However, some kids have a very high and seemingly never-ending need for attention, physical touch and conversation from their caregiver. These are the ones who run through every bad behavior they know to keep your attention on them, the ones […]
There are many advantages to kids of different ages playing together. Besides being lots of fun, it’s a great way to encourage social/emotional learning for different ages. Let’s take the example of a simple game of kickball that has an “everyone plays or the game ends” rule. The older kids flex their adaptive thinking muscle […]
Great caregivers are always learning. Learning about new research, new theory, new ways of putting ideas into action, new strategies to deal with common and uncommon challenges, new hacks that just make life with kids easier. Great caregivers also know how to unlearn things. One of the toughest things to unlearn is the negative language […]
