Mischief or Idolizing? When you keep finding your little one scooting along to reach the bottom of the stairs only to stare awhile and eventually make an attempt to climb them, do you wonder why they are so bent on attempting the dangerous to them stairs? When you come across your little one with all of the tissues pulled out of several Kleenex boxes and scattered about the room, do you get frustrated with the mess? When your little one wanders up to the dishwasher while your back is turned only to pull out a plate and promptly break it with a drop or fumble, do you find yourself angry? What about when your little one has taken a hammer to the wall or pulled out ALL of the dishes from the cupboard - how do you feel? What do you think about? It isnt uncommon to get frustrated or ponder why this tiny human is so mischievous But what about looking at the mischief in a totally different light? Your child has seen you climb those steps everyday! Your child has seen you use Kleenex by pulling the tissue out of the box. Your child knows that dishes get taken out of the dishwasher and that dishes for cooking and things get taken out of cupboards. She has probably even seen you nailing up a picture frame or doing repairs with a hammer. Your child does not yet know or understand how these everyday things actually belong in the giant world of theirs, but they know that the people important to them make use of these items all the time. They are modeling their behavior after yours, even before they are talking! And they are continuing to explore their surroundings - feeling, touching, smelling, TASTING everything! They are trying to make sense of it all and how better to do this than to look to you and the other people in their lives for examples. See the humor in their attempts to be like you and take the wonderful opportunity to redirect their efforts! Explain what a hammer is used for and provide a safe environment for learning! Maybe let them help by grabbing and putting away certain dishes - like the plastic cups and plates they normally use when eating. You are your childrens idol and no matter what age your children are, they will always be learning something from you by the things you do.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:07:26 +0000
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