Offer a Redo and Practice How to Fix a Mistake

Kids need lots of practice to learn life skills. Instead of perpetuating the shame cycle, set them up for success by offering redos and practice through role play! By practicing in a safe, consistent space when they are feeling good, kids get the muscle memory and embedded skills to use when they actually need it.
"The behavior we see is a solution to a problem we don't see."
~ Dr. Jody McVittie
Watch this preschooler (it's Julietta Skoog's kid) in action as she practices with her parent how to ask her sister if she can play with her stuff. Early in the pandemic, when the siblings were all home ALL the time there was, understandably, a lot of challenges and conflict. There was defiance, destruction, and basically a lot of the youngest sibling getting into her sister's stuff. Looking at behavior through the metaphor of an iceberg, and getting curious as to what was going on BELOW for the preschooler helped her big sisters in 2nd and 5th grade to come up with solutions from a place of empathy, perspective, and helpfulness.
One solution included restructuring the room and getting clarity on what was community stuff and what needed asking. This takes practice and teaching. Role plays are so underrated and and EXTREMELY helpful tool for all kids to truly embody mistakes being opportunities to learn.
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Sproutable offers parents and caregivers the tools, systems and strategies they need to cultivate powerful relationships, teach social-emotional skills, and set healthy limits and boundaries with all kids, from babies to teens. We offer expert answers, solutions to behavior challenges, inspiration and energy. We are Positive Discipline based, science-backed, and parent tested. We show you how to take the latest research in brain science and child development and make it actionable in everyday real life moments.
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