"Wherever you are, be all there." ~Jim Elliot.

It seems as if little children were deliberately put together in such a way that everything about them slows adults down. Why is that?

Well, the obvious reason is that they develop better when the important adults in their lives are not only in the room, but also in the moment. The more we talk with them and help to interpret their experiences for them, the more they learn.

Adults also benefit. Slowing down may not seem like a blessing at first, but children make adults spend time on many things that would otherwise mostly go by unnoticed. Then, years later, many older people look back and realize that those little things were really the big things.

As Angela Schwindt once said, "While we are teaching our children all about life, they are teaching us what life is all about."

Best wishes for the holiday season!

Why did I DO that?

"Why did you grab that toy? Why did you hit your sister? Why is there spaghetti in your hair?"

We ask toddlers these questions and they never come up with an answer. Why? Because they live in the moment. Their brains aren't wired to the point where they can think about their own thinking.

This ability develops over time. By the time he's about 4-5 years old, your child will be able to think and talk about his thoughts and explain why he did something. He'll even be able to imagine what other people are thinking and put himself in their shoes.

That's when parents and children can (and should) have a lot of fun talking about why a child likes this or that and why he chooses one thing and not the other. You can even ask your 4 year old's opinion about house rules!

Toddlers, on the other hand, simply experiment with all kinds of behaviours. As they do things over and over again, and important adults in their lives consistently respond either positively or negatively, they learn about certain behaviours being either acceptable or unacceptable.

So, for now, asking your toddler to explain himself only serves to overwhelm him. And, depending on your tone of voice, the message that you're sending may very well be: "You clearly weren't THINKING when you did that! I cannot believe how STUPID you are!"

"When we know better... we do better."

Everyday may not be a good day, but ...

Today, only hours after the passing of Mr. Nelson Mandela, we can look back on what he stood for and learn so much. If we learn nothing else, let's take from his example that forgiveness is a gift that we give not only to ourselves, but also to our children.

We live in a broken world. The choices we make about whether or not to forgive people who wronged us in the past can either marinate our children in bitterness as they spend their childhood in our homes, or give them light and hope and a future. Let's, like the father of our Rainbow Nation, choose freedom. 

"When we know better... we do better"

Why you should not tell your toddler to "Stop crying!"

Psychologist Debbie Glasser advises parents not to say “Stop crying” or “Don’t be scared” when dealing with their toddlers. She says, “It's natural to want to protect a child from these feelings, but saying 'Don't be' doesn't make a child feel better, and it also can send the message that his emotions aren't valid - that it's not okay to be sad or scared."

We at Practica would like to add to this: when you give an instruction to your child that involves his body, such as: “Don’t touch the hot stove”, your toddler has a choice between two actions. He can either touch the stove, or not. Both these options are within his control.

On the other hand, when it comes to feelings, a toddler really doesn’t have a choice other than to give in to the emotion.

Your toddler is still in the process of learning other ways of dealing with intense feelings.

Interestingly, the way your toddler will learn how to soothe himself and deal with his own emotions in a more mature way is being shaped by the way that YOU deal with his big feelings now! When you soothe him, he learns to self-soothe and your compassion teaches him self-compassion.

In other words, when you say “Stop crying!” you are asking your child to do something that is developmentally still beyond his ability. When you treat his feelings as natural, soothe and hold him, and validate his feelings, you are modelling to him how to do these things for himself one day.

Before you know it your child won’t be a toddler any longer and he will be able to deal with big feelings in more mature ways.

NOTE: We are not saying that all crying is equal! This only applies to situations where a toddler has a valid reason for crying, e.g. when he is scared, frustrated, over-tired or angry to the point where he is overwhelmed by his emotions. It doesn’t apply to situations where your child is using crying to manipulate you and get his way. Read about the two kinds of tantrums here

Words: Lizette van Huyssteen

When we know better... we do better

A few tips from Lizette - 5 Things I have learnt over the years about disciplining children

“A true hero is not someone who thinks about doing what is right, but one that simply does what is right without thinking!” -Kevin Heath 

With this in mind, I thought I’d share five things that I have learnt over the years about disciplining children:

1. Be the kind of person that you want your child to become. Your child learns far more from your example (what you do) than from your convictions(how you tell them to behave and what you say you believe).

2. Ask advice. You may think you know how to raise your child because you were a child once. You don’t. You and your child most likely share a different combination of temperaments compared to what you've shared with your own parents. More importantly, you are raising a child in a totally different time. Your child is exposed to so much more than you were when you were his age. If you think it was difficult finding ‘True North’ when you were a child and a teenager, imagine how difficult it’s going to be for your child to find it living in a time where there are hundreds of different maps. Parenting isn't as simple as it used to be. Get help.

3. Invest time in training. Never tire of setting up situations where you can use positive and negative consequences to help shape your child’s thoughts, habits and character. Make the most of every opportunity. There’s no other way. No short cut. Just do it.

4. Laugh a lot. Don’t laugh when your child does something that is unacceptable – it confuses them. Don’t make jokes at their expense and never laugh at your child when he is embarrassed. At any other time, make jokes – even when you don’t really feel like it. Keep things light. If needed, Google “jokes for children”, jot a few lines down on paper and keep the notes in your handbag. See laughter as sunlight and discipline as water. Together they make things grow. It’s amazing how much easier it is for a child to be corrected by a parent that he even more often shares a laugh with.

5. Recognize that you are shaping both a heart and a relationship. In the end you will be able to count yourself successful if you end up with two things: (1) an adult child who knows his way when he gets to a fork in the road, and mostly simply does what is right without thinking and (2) an adult child who wants to spend time with you because he respects you and values your opinion. Don’t be weak. Don’t be lazy. You are in a race against time. Your child doesn't need another friend. He needs a parent.

With love,
Lizette van Huyssteen
Founder of the Practica Program

When we know better... we do better

3 Reasons Why We Should DISCOURAGE Perfectionism

It is very easy to believe that being a perfectionist is a favourable quality. But is it really? Here are three reasons why we should DISCOURAGE perfectionism in children:

1. Perfectionists are less likely to take risks and try their hand at new things. They often become fearful of failure and if they cannot be the best, they would rather not try at all.
2. They spend more time completing tasks.  Being the only one in class that hasn’t finished yet, can make a child feel inferior.
3. Friends or peers may start to feel judged and avoid your child when they don’t live up to his standards.

What to do about it?

-       Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy praise.  (Go here if you missed that post.)

When your child is doing a task, talk about the PROCESS, the CHOICES that he makes and ways in which he can CHALLENGE himself, instead of focusing only on the product and then making general statements that label your child, such as “You are so smart” or “You are a champion artist”. These labels put pressure on children, making them fearful of making mistakes and then losing admiration and respect. Rather, when your child draws a picture, ask questions about the colours he is using and what he plans to do next. When playing ball games, give him the choice of which ball to play with and encourage him to challenge himself: “Why not try kicking the tennis ball and see if you can get as good at it as when you kicked the soccer ball.”

-       Help your child to distinguish between people-orientated and task-orientated situations.

Some people are naturally task-orientated and others are people- orientated. Regardless of your child’s natural preference, it will serve him well to be able to differentiate between these two kinds of situations. This insight will help your child to manage his actions and his emotions better. After all, losing a game of Monopoly should not be viewed in the same light as flunking a test!

Use words to describe the different situations. When people-orientated, say something like:  “Remember that this is about spending time together, having fun and making memories.” And when a situation is task orientated: “We’re not kidding around now; this is a get-down-to-it-and-get-it- done activity”.

In the words of Peggy O’Mara, “The way that you talk to your child, becomes his inner voice.”  When parents mostly talk about the end result, their child’s focus is obviously also directed towards the end result. On the contrary, when you as the parent shift your attention away from the end result towards the process and the choices that can be made, your child’s thoughts will follow suit.

Just to hammer the nail a bit deeper into the coffin of perfectionism, we end with a spirited quote by Anne Lamott:

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a sh*#! first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.”

― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

 When we know better... we do better

Bullying...what's your role?

Bullying damages the physical, social, and emotional well-being of its victims. It also hurts the children who bully, as well as those who watch it happen.

In fact, bullying creates a climate of fear, callousness, and disrespect for everyone involved. Bullying begins in the preschool years, peaks in early adolescence, and continues, but with less frequency, into the high school years. But bullying does NOT have to be a part of growing up.

Over the past two decades, what we know about bullying—who is involved, where, when, and why it occurs, and the situations that allow it to spread—has increased tremendously. This knowledge has helped researchers develop new and useful strategies that both children and adults can use to intervene effectively and, better yet, prevent bullying before it ever occurs.

Our blog now includes a new section called “Free Printables”. From here parents can download free printable activities and information straight to their computer/devices.  Today’s post includes a free printable toolkit!  The Eyes on Bullying Toolkit was developed and written by Kim Storey, Ron Slaby, Melanie Adler, Jennifer Minotti, and Rachel Katz, at Education Development Center, Inc.  The toolkit will help you:

1. Understand the extent, seriousness, and dynamics of bullying.
2. Recognize and respond early and effectively to behaviours that can lead to bullying
3. Learn about new, effective strategies for controlling bullying.
4. Prepare children to recognize and respond effectively to early bullying behaviour
5. Teach children how everyone—bullies, victims, bystanders, and supportive adults—can help control bullying.
6. Create an environment where everyone understands that bullying behaviours are unacceptable, harmful, and preventable.
7. Empower yourself and children to actively intervene to prevent and stop bullying.

Words by eyesonbullying.org

When we know better... we do better

How to Discipline like a Therapist

The very first thing to keep in mind is that discipline is not something that is done TO a child, but rather something that a parent helps to develop WITHIN a child.

To do this, we need to constantly work at teaching our children to learn to understand the difference between right and wrong, or good and bad choices, while at the same time helping them to develop their own conviction and motivation as they grow into adults. Our goal should be to help them reach a point where they actually WANT to make the right choices and believe that they have the moral fibre and the willpower to do just that. 

Step 1: Teach your child about acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. What is most crucial here is to diligently and patiently use positive and negative consequences to "condition" your child to associate certain behaviours with pleasant or unpleasant consequences. 

Step 2: Teach your child to deal with the negative emotions that come with realising that he’s made a mistake. For many parents, discipline begins and ends at Step 1. A therapist, on the other hand, understands that a parent's job is not finished before he has helped his child to deal with the emotions that go along with the process of being disciplined. 

Keep the following 5 steps in mind:

Mention the seriousness of the situation. Your child's behaviour was unacceptable and it is good for him to spend some time thinking about how his behaviour impacted other people negatively. Say, for example, “Screaming and punching is unacceptable behaviour and that kind of behaviour is hurtful. It made me feel really bad when you did that." (Note that you're addressing the behaviour and the bad choice that your child has made and that you're not labelling him as a bad person.)

Acknowledge what he is feeling at the moment. “It looks as if you're feeling sorry/angry about what happened. Am I right?" 

Put his behaviour into perspective. “Remember, everyone makes bad choices from time to time, it doesn't make you a bad person, I know your heart.”

Suggest what he can do to make himself feel better. “Now, if you say sorry, we can hug and both of us will feel a lot better.”

Lastly, help your child to move on. Help him to think about what he can do differently from now on to avoid a similar situation in the future. Say, “Next time, remember to use your words to let me know when you are angry. Being angry is okay, but we do not show it by screaming and punching."

According to Prof. Mark Leary from Duke University in North Carolina, this kind of guidance from a parent helps a child to grow into an adult that can look his mistakes in the eye, fix what can be fixed, learn from what happened and then move on. 

In his words, "People who are self-compassionate often have more equanimity, are better liked, work harder and have higher standards than people who are critical of themselves."

"Parents who know better...do better." 

Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals as Parents

“When we are motivated by goals that have a deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live.” 
- Greg Anderson

Most parents feel like this about parenting. However, their commitment to their children can easily turn into a pitfall. It is easy to become over-emotional and this makes it difficult to act strategically and objectively.

Instead of trying to tone down your emotions, you may want to try setting S.M.A.R.T goals whenever you reach the point where you need to take a step back and become more practical in your approach.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. 

Let’s look at an example of a S.M.A.R.T goal:

“I want my child to be more popular within the next 6 months. In order to achieve this, I will ask his teacher to recommend two friends. I will then arrange one play date every weekend and involve my child in the planning.” 

Specific – A general goal would be, “I want my child to feel better about himself.” Our example, however, is more specific because it involves a plan of action. According to Marc Shernoff, author of 1000 Little Things Happy People Do Differently, a specific goal has a far greater chance of being accomplished because it has defined parameters and constraints.

Measurable – Our example is measurable and practical. To determine if a goal is measurable, ask yourself questions like: How much time? How many total? How will I know when the goal is accomplished? etc. 

Attainable – To be attainable, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. In other words, the goal must be realistic.

Relevant – Relevance stresses the importance of choosing goals that matter. For example, a parent who knows that a child feels loved when spending quality time will be wise to invest in spending special time together rather than spending energy on choosing the perfect gift.

Timely – A goal must be grounded within a time frame, giving the goal a target date. A commitment to a deadline helps you focus your efforts on the completion of the goal on or before the due date. 

It is interesting that many people, who are otherwise excellent planners and leaders, seem to forget all they have learnt when they deal with their own children, as if their logical abilities are overshadowed by deep concern. 

Let’s think S.M.A.R.T from now on!

When we know better... we do better

Adapting to a new school or nanny

Is your child struggling to adapt to a new caregiver?  

Here’s good news: pictures are powerful and there’s a way to make them work for you.

A recent study at McGill University (see link below) has once again proven the power of visualization when a group of students radically increased the amount of fruit they consumed within 7 days after imagining themselves making the right choices.

According to Diane Petrella, a specialist in this field, visualization is the process of deliberately using your imagination to create a mental model in your mind. “The mind doesn't know the difference between what is real and what is imagined, so when you visualize your subconscious encodes this new picture as if it actually happened.”

Although young children are not yet able to form mental pictures of themselves or situations in their minds eye, the potency of visualization is not lost for them. The trick is to physically provide your child with pictures of a particular situation along with a description of the positive emotions and actions that you would like your child to associate with that particular setting.

What you will need

·      A camera

·      Access to a printer

·      An empty photo album or scrapbook

Do the following

• Take photos of your child’s new school. Focus on different “stations of activity” for instance, where he stores his backpack for the day, the toilets (it is important to take an actual photo of the toilet), the carpet where he listens to stories, the chair and table he sits at when doing activities, the playground outside, any “make believe” stations that catch your eye (like a shop corner or hospital scene), and reading corner. 

• Make sure to include at least one picture of his caregiver.  If you can manage to take a happy photograph of the two of them together, that’s good, otherwise a photo of her alone is perfect. Remember to keep the photos positive and happy! If other children feature in the photos, ask them to smile and wave as you take the picture.

• Place the photographs in an album or book. Write a caption under each photo. Make sure to include POSITIVE EMOTIONS and ACTIONS when writing the caption. Instead of simply saying “This is Miss Sonya” or “This is the reading corner” write something like:

“This is Miss Sonya. Miss Sonya loves Megan. Whenever Megan needs help or feels alone, she goes to Miss Sonya. Miss Sonya thinks Megan is a very special girl!”

or

“This is the reading corner. Megan loves to page through books in the reading corner. There are many books with many interesting pictures in the reading corner at Megan’s new school.”

·   Read the album together as a “story” every night. Point to the pictures and ask questions as you would if you were reading a typical storybook. The more often you read the story, the better.

Same environment, new caregiver?

If the environment has NOT changed but the CAREGIVER is NEW, as in the case of a new teacher at school or a new nanny joining the family, do the following:

·   Still take photos of the various “stations of activity” as before, but now place the new person into each of the familiar settings. In other words, let the teacher stand next to the swing or by the toilet when you take a photo of the playground and the bathroom.

The idea is to bring the new person into the familiar setting and making her part of your child’s everyday story.

Did you know? Good news! Practica has started a Facebook page and it’s great fun! If you have a Facebook profile, go to www.facebook.com/practicaprogram and click on LIKE. You will then automatically see our daily tips and little tidbits on weekdays.

“Parents who know better . . . do better . . .”

How to make a Second Language feel more Natural

Parents often ask the Practica Advisory Service how they can boost their little one’s ability to communicate in a 2nd language. Here’s a fun idea that children are naturally drawn to.

Buy a new teddy and explain that he can understand and speak nothing but the 2nd language.  Give him a name that is characteristic of the new language, such as “Jannie” if the second language is Afrikaans or “Johnny” if it’s English. Now, do the following:

1. When you say something to your child, repeat this to Jannie in the second language. This will expose your child to the new language in a real life context and also teach your little one to be understanding and empathetic towards others.

2. Involve Jannie in pretend play and speak to him as if he is a real person. Encourage your child to do the same and help him out with key words.

3. As you read your child’s bedtime story, talk about pictures as usual and then repeat words in the second language, so that Jannie can also understand.

4. Involve Jannie in your daily routine. Keep in mind that repetition is key when learning any new language, 1st or 2nd.  Since routines are naturally repeated, you can easily use this as an opportunity to repeat words and phrases in both languages.

5. Deliberately add new experiences to your daily routine that will expose your child to new words and concepts over and over again, like taking a daily walk through the garden – with Jannie, of course!

Developing a First Language

If your child is at the stage where he is just starting to string together 3-5 word sentences in his first language, consider buying another teddy specifically for that language and first focusing on this new friend. 

One great advantage to having another “child” in the house, is that it gives you a reason to repeat and correct language with less risk of intimidating or embarrassing your child.

For example, when your child says, “I need to the loo,” you can respond by saying to Teddy, “Peter says that he needs to go to the loo. Teddy, do you need to go to the loo as well?” The idea is to model the correct use of the language instead of correcting your child and putting him on the spot.

3 General Tips for boosting Language Development

Talk about things that are happening in the moment, as it will be easier for your child to link the meaning of your words to what he is experiencing at that moment.

Be led by your child’s focus. Be on the lookout for things that draw his attention and then elaborate on his experience by adding words to it.

Repeat key words, for instance, “Can you help Teddy to eat his apple? Teddy has a red apple and you also have a red apple.”

When we know better... we do better...