So today at my internship, I was meeting with a little 4-year-old boy who has recently started being more physically aggressive with the other kids. I was trying to teach him how to pretend to blow bubbles as a way to do some deep breathing and relax when he gets upset (obviously he wouldn't know to do this on his own, so I planned on telling his teachers what I had told him so that they could help remind him). The interaction went something like this:Me: "So, J - I've heard that you're having some trouble sharing with your friends, and that you get angry with your friends and take their toys from them."
J: "Yeah. (pause) That's not very nice."
Me: "You're right - that's not very nice. I'm going to teach you something to do when you're feeling angry to help you feel better... You're going to pretend to dip your bubble wand in the special water, and then hold it in front of you and blow out all the bubbles."
We practice.
Me: "I'm going to tell your teachers about this, so they can help you to remember this trick when you're feeling angry, ok?"
J: "Ok."
Me: "So when you get angry, the teacher will say to you 'J - Bubbles!' and what will you do?"
J: "Get angry."
Me: "Well, yes, you'll already be angry, and the teacher will see that and will remind you to blow your bubbles, and then what will you do?"
J: "Get upset."
I love kids.
3 comments:
Cute. And also my standard birth control reminder.
I taught G to blow imaginary bubbles when he gets worked up and can't figure out how to stop crying. Trouble is, he doesn't get the slow breathing part... so I'm worried he's going to hyperventilate and pass out!
Sometimes after I put him to bed, when he's crying about the indignity of it all, I'll hear him quietly hyperventilating to himself, trying to calm down. Ah, the joys of parenthood!
I find a seven-year-olds equally as perplexing...sigh. Maybe Jack should blow these imaginary bubbles?
Post a Comment