Changes

Post 170

Hooray! Your child is all settled in. They (and you) have gotten through the first few days or week of school. They have taken the bus, met their teacher, navigated their classroom, eaten lunch in school, and made a friend or two. Life is good! You can relax. All the worries you had this summer about your little one have more or less been resolved. Right?

Wrong! Just when you think things should run smoothly and stay the same, they change. Your new student comes home with an attitude. That innocent little child you knew suddenly seems to be saying and doing things that they never would have thought of two weeks ago. Where did all this come from and what did you do wrong?!

First off, you did nothing wrong. Change, as we all know, is an ongoing thing. We adults change daily based on our surroundings and the people we interact with. Children are no different. Your child is probably going to try on new behaviors based on what they see or hear in school or on the playground. Some of those will be good such as learning to sit still and listen because the teacher models it, being a little more independent hanging up their backpack or tying their shoes. But some might not be so “positive”…think answering back or interrupting when you are talking. (My oldest got off the school bus his first day of school and commented, “That was a hell of a good ride”…there were eighth graders on the bus with him. Lol)

What do you do if this happens? Don’t get too upset! Remember you are still your little one’s parent. What you say goes and they very much want your approval. Say something like, “We don’t say/do that here”, and move on. I wouldn’t make too big a thing about it. Ignoring it is the first thing. Distraction also works. For example, if your child starts using gestures you don’t approve of, turn it into a finger play like ‘Where ls Thumbkin’ or ‘Open Shut Them’ and, again, move on. The point is to not reinforce bad behavior by dwelling on it. If it becomes too ingrained or happens too often you will have to be firmer but usually these behaviors are transitory. And, of course, praise your child when they act/speak the way you want them to.

Your child is going to grow in all sorts of ways this year. With your’s and the teacher’s guidance it will be a positive and wonderful experience for both of you. Celebrate it! 😀

Take Care. 🙂