|
|
Sibling rivalry
CHILDWISE
BY RUTH LIEW
I HAVE three children |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When friends move away
Childwise: By RUTH LIEW
MOVING house means changing schools and neighbourhoods. Most children feel helpless in situations in which they have no opportunity to offer their opinions. Those moving away and those left behind will find it hard to cope.
For younger children, the transition of moving and making new friends is easier. To school-age children and teens, such changes can be extremely upsetting.
My second child, eight, felt sad when her best friend moved to Sydney. When she first found out about the move, my daughter asked: 揥hy must she go? Can抰 she stay in Malaysia? Can I go with her? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing our limits
Childwise
By RUTH LIEW
Parenting can be rewarding as well as challenging. There are times when we have to get tough and make decisions that our children may not like.
Children will test limits as soon as they are able to. Toddlers will explore their boundaries and try their parents |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Phone rivalry
CHILDWISE
By RUTH LIEW
EVER wondered how you can have a conversation on the phone without any interruptions from your young child? Do you have an unnerving time keeping your child quiet while you try to entertain your guests?
揗ama, I am hungry, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Controlling aggression
CHILDWISE by RUTH LIEW
TWO four-year-olds ran happily towards the bathroom. They were going to wash their hands so that they could have their tea. Then one boy screamed. The caregiver walked over and found the other child pulling his hair.
This is a common scenario among preschoolers.
Most preschoolers between four to six years old may have learned a great deal about playing with their friends since their toddler years. But they still find it difficult to control their emotions and express themselves verbally. Children in this age group want to control the people and things in their lives. They are still unable to accept other people抯 point of view. They demand that other people put up with their decisions.
One mother lamented: 揗y four-year-old son is very sneaky. He waits for his six-year-old sister to leave the room and then takes her things. If he gets into a fight with his sister, he refuses to give in even when he is in the wrong. He won抰 relent even when the incident is over. Out of the blue, he can lash out at his sister for something she did weeks ago. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coping with preschool
Childwise: By RUTH LIEW
I HAVE two sons aged four years old and four months old. My sons stay at home with their father while I work.
A few months ago, we enrolled our son in a playschool programme. The class lasts an hour and a half. The activities are varied and interesting for the preschoolers. They conduct storytelling, colouring, and physical activities such as jumping and throwing balls. They are all teacher-centred activities. The children have to follow the teacher抯 instructions.
My son enjoyed the trial class and told me that he liked colouring and storytelling. My husband and I accompanied him during the trial class. We were told we could only do it for the try-out. We were not allowed in the class with him after the first class.
Now my son does not want to go to the playschool anymore because we will not be in the class. He says he will go on condition that we stay in the class. How do I solve this problem?
One of the teachers my son likes has left the programme. He does not like the other new teachers. One teacher complained that my son refused to cooperate with her. When she asked him to hand in his worksheet for display, he refused to heed her advice. He wanted to bring it home.
He also refused to follow the group in their activities. When he was asked to join his group in the pretend play, he ran away. He would only do what he likes.
One teacher told me that my son behaved negatively because his parents were around. She said he would behave better if we were not there with him. She also advised me to be strict with our son.
Our son has since missed three classes. He refuses to go to the playschool and shows no interest in the programme at all.
Worried Mother
It is normal for a four-year-old who has just started a new preschool programme to find it difficult to cope during the initial stages. Learning to take instructions and joining group activities are skills which your son has yet to acquire. He cannot be expected to understand what is required of him as part of the group when he has just started the programme. It will take some time before he knows how to be part of the group and follow instructions given by his teachers. This is the very reason you have decided to send him to this playschool in the first place.
You have two choices: You can keep sending your son to this programme, kicking and screaming. You can leave him there with the teachers and let them manage his behaviour the way they see fit. Or you can start looking for another programme that is more child-centred and allows him time to settle down.
It is normal for a four-year-old who has just started a new preschool programme to find it difficult to cope during the initial stages.
You may feel worried when your son refuses to attend this playschool programme. You are probably wondering whether his present behaviour will lead to more problems in later years with school attendance. Take comfort and know that this difficult adjustment period is transitory. Your son will not continue with this behaviour when he has grown and become more confident.
It is true that children can feel a little lost when their teacher is no longer available. During his orientation, your son may feel attached to one particular teacher whom he finds easy to interact with. If that teacher is no longer in the programme, his or her absence will surely be missed. To help solve this problem, you can request that your child be allowed time to bond with another teacher. Meanwhile, you can also volunteer your services to help him do that without pressure.
At this time of your child抯 life, he needs patience and understanding more than anything else. I believe he will learn better in an environment where the adults are loving and caring. They would accept him for what he is at this moment.
Consider the possibility that this particular playschool programme is not suitable for your son. Since this is his first introduction to a programme outside his home, he needs a positive experience. Take some time to look around for another suitable programme. You may want to ask your friends and relatives for their references to programmes that they know are well-run.
There is more to preschool readiness than just being interested in storytelling and colouring. Your child needs to have a level of confidence that can help him cope with the demands of being in a group. He needs to understand the adults |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One step at a time
Children who experience separation anxiety must be handled with patience and understanding.
CHILDWISE by RUTH LIEW
I AM a stay-at-home mum. My daughter will be four in November. She has just attended kindergarten for a month. My daughter is basically a cheerful, playful, witty and happy child.
Initially she was very excited and happy about school and showed great interest in her studies even though she had separation anxiety.
When she came home from school, she would tell me everything that had happened |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sleep problems
Childwise by RUTH LIEW
What can a parent do to soothe a fretful baby?
I have a 10-month-old baby girl. Since she was about five months old, she just hasn抰 slept well through the night. She frets, and tosses and turns in bed.
After I pat or carry her for a while, she may fall soundly asleep, but will start fretting again after an hour or two. Feeding her milk in the middle of the night does not help.
Calming effect: If your baby is fretful during sleep, try singing softly to her. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Positive parenting skills
Childwise
By RUTH LIEW
AS parents we are supposed to be our children抯 role model. But I tend to lose my temper quite easily, get upset when my children are sick, and fight with my husband. Sometimes I feel lonely as I do not have many friends here. How can I be a good role-model? I am trying hard to change.
My daughter is a slow eater. She takes three hours to finish half a bowl of rice. She likes to keep the food in her mouth for a long time before swallowing. Sometimes I worry whether she has enough food, so I give her milk twice a day. I have tried various suggestions like providing a good variety of kid抯 fare, cooking together with her or even taking away her milk for a day so that she would eat faster when she feels hungry, but all these do not seem to work.
How do I encourage her to eat faster before the food gets cold?
My daughter is also very timid and gets frightened easily when she hears loud sounds and sees animals (tame and wild) and insects (for example, butterflies). We used to take her to my in-law抯 house which has dogs, chickens, and a cat. We take her to the park every weekend.
How can I encourage her to appreciate nature and explore the world around her? She loves to look at picture books and enjoys drawing.
On the other hand, my son does not seem to like books. He will crawl away the moment I open a book, unlike his sister who would sit on my lap and listen to the stories for an hour when she was a baby.
How can I encourage my son to love books? He likes to bite and tear the books, so I only give him board books. He loves to explore his surroundings.
Willing to change mum
BEING a good parent means you are always working on doing what is right by your children. You need not be a perfect parent who knows everything about child development. But you do need to know how to correct your mistakes when you make them.
When you are angry with your child or feel frustrated that you cannot do better, examine your reasons for these feelings. Are your expectations unreasonable or are you too demanding of your children?
Guiding children requires patience and understanding. You need to make careful observations of your children抯 behaviour and know how to meet their needs. Rather than focusing on their misbehaviour, you should also catch them when they are good. Their behaviour is also influenced by your responses and attitude towards them. If you believe in them, they will feel supported and work hard towards doing what is right.
Spend more time marvelling at your children抯 antics and less on comparing their weaknesses or lack of interest. Your children are still at a tender age and need to learn a great deal. Tolerate their mistakes and help them find positive ways to work out their problems.
Your role is to provide them with an environment that is safe for them to make their explorations, as well as work out their problems.
Children tend to eat better when they are in a social setting. Instead of feeding your child separately, invite her to join in family meals and let her feed herself. It sounds like you are still feeding her and controlling her food intake.
It is hard for both mother and child to wait for a meal to finish in three hours. Maybe you should share this control with your child. Small meals are easier for toddlers to manage. Your child feels better when she gets to choose what she eats. If rice is one staple that is taking a long time, try substituting with other staples. Once you have planned a well-balanced diet for your child, rest assured that she will not be under-nourished.
The wonderful thing about having children is that they are different from one another. Your son may develop differently from that of his older sister. Accept the differences and enjoy his unique personality. He may still be too young for you to decide that he does not like books.
Do things that your children are interested in. Instead of using books to tell stories, try using props and picture cards to make your stories interesting. You can also promote language development during playtime.
Reassure your children of your love and kindness. Allow your children to make interruptions. But keep them focused on the information you share with them to make them better individuals. Instead of scolding them for what they have done, you can tell them what they should do instead.
As your children explore their environment, they will pick up things that they should not play with. Say to your children, 揟his is not a toy. Here is a toy that you can play with. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Battle of wills
Childwise by RUTH LIEW
Toddlers need help to understand the different ways to get what they want, and to delay gratification.
MY WIFE and I are both working. We have two sons, aged five and 18 months. We send them to a babysitter.
Our younger son started to behave badly after we put him in the care of the babysitter.
I have to say 揘o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patience required
Childwise: By RUTH LIEW
I AM a housewife, and I live with my mum and several family members. I have two boys, aged 10 and five. My husband spoils my eldest son by giving in to his every whim. He used to be a very good, obedient and lovable boy until he turned four. Then he became naughty.
When he was about seven, he became very rude and difficult. We scolded him whenever he did something wrong. He would take it out on his grandma and me. He likes to fight with his brother. My husband takes his side and hardly reprimands him for his wrongdoings.
My husband has a terrible temper. We do not get along, and hardly agree on the same things. I find him illogical. He believes in what his mother taught him, that is, to let kids do what they want and give them what they want.
When my husband sees my mother and me scolding my eldest son and smacking him, he takes pity on the boy. He is also prejudiced. He scolds my younger son when he is naughty, but not the older one.
My mother and I feel that as a father, he is too lenient with our eldest son. My husband becomes angry with us after scolding the kids. He picks fights with me. I have told him never to fight in front of the children, but he still does.
When my husband scolds my son, he uses very harsh words and does not explain the wrong my son has committeed.
My son is a smart boy. He was the top student, from Year One to Three. The teachers say he抯 cheerful and intelligent. Lately, he ismischievous in school. His grades have dropped and he has become lazy.
My son likes to drag his feet when it comes to completing homework. Recently, he failed one of the tests and was caned by his teacher. After that, he did not want to go to school. He said he hates school and complained that he was having problems with his friends. We scolded him for not going to school and punished him, but he still refused to go. He insisted on changing schools. His behaviour has changed. He cries easily and has become very demanding.
My husband and I will be moving to our own place next month. We will transfer our son to a school near our new home but we are afraid that he might not want to go to the school.
Distraught Mother
Building a positive parent-child relationship requires a great deal of patience and understanding. When parents constantly find fault with their children抯 behaviour and keep correcting them, they may make their children feel rejected and unloved. Punishment and scoldings will further discourage them from working on their ability to function effectively.
A child抯 behaviour worsens when his needs are not met or when he is facing difficult challenges. In your son抯 case, there is a lot in the home front for him to cope with. He has to deal with conflicting parents, as well as a non-supportive extended family.
Your 10-year-old son probably feels despair when family disputes that centre around him occur daily at home.
If you want to help change your son抯 attitude and build his confidence, you must first start with yourself and your relationship with your husband.
Consider your concerns and attitude towards your son first, before you respond to his behaviour. In many cases, a parent who is overly-concerned about a child抯 performance can cause him to have difficulties at school. Your reprimands and punishment accentuate the problem, rather than correct it.
Work out your differences with your spouse without involving your children. Even if you disagree on many things, you must show respect when dealing with your children抯 well-being.
Young children have a strong need to be proud of their parents. They feel hurt when their parents say unpleasant things about one another. For successful parenting, work on family integration rather than promote competition.
A child抯 behaviour is influenced by that of others. Parents are not the only ones who should be responsible for their children抯 behaviour. When there is a problem in the family, it should not only be the mother or father who has to deal with it. Children should also learn to be responsible and help out in the family.
The whole family, including the child himself, needs to help solve the problem. When faced with a problem, get the whole family to sit down together to discuss possible solutions.
Every member has an opportunity to put forward his or her ideas and be heard. This way, you can reach out to your son, without frustration and anger. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unseen friend
Childwise: By RUTH LIEW
Imaginary friends are often the result of a powerful imagination.
MY second daughter is four-and-a-half years old. She attends a home-schooling programme. Lately, she has been talking to herself when she is playing at home. She talks to me about her friend, Jasmine, whom I know does not exist. She even describes what Jasmine looks like.
One day, after I had picked her up from my mother抯 house, she told me that Jasmine had gone to her grandmother抯 house and taken her home for a visit. When I asked her how she went to her Jasmine抯 home, she said that her mother had come to fetch her in a car. She even described her friend抯 mother.
I know she never left my mother抯 house, and that she had made up the story. I am not sure what to make of her behaviour. Her imaginary friend seems very real to her. When her older sister teased her and told her that she doesn抰 have any friend called Jasmine, she retorted: 揑 have a friend. She is called Jasmine. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mother抯 love
Childwise: By RUTH LIEW
A mother has a special influence over her children that no one else has.
I WORK as an accounts assistant and am studying towards a part-time degree in accounting. I will be completing my studies in December. I have been very busy in the office. Most of the time, I stay back till 7pm even though the official time for work ends at 5pm. Recently I was promoted to acting accounts executive.
My children, a four year-old girl and a two-year-old boy, stay with my mum. I have realised that they learn nothing at my mother's house. They spend their time watching television.
I also suspect that my mum does not like my son. She seems to treat him differently compared with my daughter and nephew who are also under her care. My son gets caned whenever he does not listen to her.
My brother shouts at my children whenever he wants them to stop doing something. I think that affects them negatively. My children have picked up the bad habit of shouting whenever they want anything from me.
I am the kind of parent who does not like to spank my children. Rather, I prefer to explain and talk to them. I treat them with respect. However, recently, due to my heavy workload and coursework, I lost control and spanked them. Will this affect my children emotionally? They also witnessed my husband and I fighting some time ago.
Am I a good mother?
Concerned working mother
It is not easy for a working mother who has to do parenting on leftover time. And it can be challenging when you depend on others to care for your children. As parents, we make mistakes. But if we are committed to doing a good job in raising our children, we will correct our mistakes and learn from experience. We must also learn to forgive ourselves when we have failed.
Your children need parents whom they can trust to reflect their actions and try to help them make connections with what they are learning. Your role as a parent is to help them make sense of what they are learning and sort out the confusion in their lives. If any misunderstandings occur, help them solve the problems; this will strengthen the parent-child bond.
Before you start trying to make amends with your children and extended family members, you must deal with your guilt as a working mother. The situation you are in, as a working parent and part-time student, is temporary. In a few months, once your studies are completed, you will have more time for yourself. The more frustrated you feel, the worse it will affect your home life. Go easy on yourself.
Having your mother care for your children has its advantages and disadvantages. While you feel safe with this caregiver since you trust her and know her well, the care-giving can put stress on your relationship with your mother. Both of you want the best for the children in your own way. You may not share your mother抯 ideas about discipline or the way she manages the children. Your mother may feel that she knows what is best; after all, she brought you up and is now looking after your children.
One way to make this arrangement work is to spell out the rules and expectations clearly. Tell your mother that you appreciate her help in care-giving. Explain that you find it difficult to do a good job as a parent when there are conflicting ways of managing your children抯 behaviour. You must also stress that you understand how difficult it is for her to cope with your son. Encourage her to let you know whenever she finds it hard to manage his behaviour; assure her that you will help her wherever possible. Offer to do what you can so that she will not feel too harassed from caring for three young children.
Whenever you are with your children, remind them to use their quiet indoor voices to make their requests known to you. If they shout like their uncle, gently tell them that you like it better when they talk nicely. Your children may even learn to say this to their uncle the next time he shouts at them. As a mother, you have a special influence over your children that no one else has. Make this influence a positive one. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Made-up language
Childwise by RUTH LIEW
Young children spend a lot of time making up strange words and telling jokes.
MY BOY is almost four. He is fairly proficient in spoken English. However, sometimes he speaks a funny language made up of new words that he has coined and given meanings to. Whenever I ask him the meaning of those words, he just giggles.
He has mastered the alphabet and knows his numbers well. However, he purposely says them wrongly at times, for example, 揂 for boy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
God, are you there?
Childwise by RUTH LIEW
Children may be curious about God and have questions.
SPIRITUAL development is very much a part of a child's growing process. Many parents want to teach their children about God, and see them grow spiritually from a young age.
Experts believe that children in the early years are unable to grasp the concept of God because it is abstract. However, there are some like Dr Don Ratcliff, author of several books on children抯 spiritual development, who believe that children are eager to know more about God.
Some may even find it reassuring to know that God is taking care of them. When my eldest daughter was four years old, she thanked her great-grandmother for giving her a birthday cake by saying, 揗ay God bless you. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Affirming children
Children should be accepted for who they are, as they thrive in a supportive environment.
CHILDWISE BY RUTH LIEW
RECENT research on brain development has given us a clearer understanding of how children learn and the critical periods of learning. The child's environment has changed radically with developments in transportation, technology and communication. Families today are bombarded by the influences of television, the Internet and media players.
A hundred years ago, an Italian woman doctor, Maria Montessori, started the first Montessori school, Casa dei Bambini in Rome, Italy. She had studied and observed children as a scientist and an educator. She knew about the development of the brain long before the latest findings on brain research were out. Her insight on child development provided parents with a wealth of information.
One may ask how a woman who worked with children a century ago has anything to offer parents of today. After all, today抯 parents have far more ideas on child development than they ever did years ago. But Montessori materials are still used daily in schools today, and Montessori principles are still relevant for the care of young children up to adolescence.
Montessori classified a child抯 growth under three phases: birth to six years, six to 12 years, and 12 to 18 years.
Each phase of development has its own characteristics, needs and style of learning. The first six years see phenomenal changes in a child抯 life. He grows from a helpless infant into a young child with fully-coordinated movements and develops an impressive command of his native language.
Before the MRI scans could detect that there are more brain cells during the early years than anytime in the life of a man or woman, Montessori had suggested that children should be given free movement so that they could learn the way their brain works. Intelligence is developed through movement, said Montessori. We should never restrict children抯 movements, especially during the infant and toddler years.
Children in the preschool age should be allowed to use their hands to discover things sensorially because a child uses his hands to learn about the world around him. He can spend less time on workbooks and engage in more hands-on activities. The child needs to make comparisons of sizes, shapes, colours, textures and sounds using concrete materials. He needs to sort and match different types of materials to know them better, and use the natural tools given to him to manipulate the environment. This sensorial education provides the child with the key to understanding his environment.
The remarkable thing about the Montessori method is the respect and unconditional love that underscore the essence of helping children develop to the fullest. Montessori insisted that adults should respect children抯 readiness to learn. They must never force the child to do what he is not prepared to do.
The unconditional love is demonstrated in accepting each child as an individual. The lessons are presented to him when he is ready for them. In the eyes of Montessori, the child抯 individualism is what makes him so special.
When children are measured by their ability, they will be deemed too slow or too fast. Once there is a standard of measurement, parents and teachers will only work towards getting to the next higher percentile rather than helping the child reach his fullest potential. The child is no longer working to achieve and learn, but to make the grade.
The goal of every child is to seek independence. Rather than support them in this, parents constantly hover over their children. They put them in one class after another. Before their child is able to master one skill, they are moved to the next. Parents often do not give children time to think and practise.
When told that their child needs time to develop their skills, parents often ask: 揌ow much time does he need? I hope he will not take too long. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Syd....panjangnya...aku baru baca 2 posting. Eheh...
Anyway, bagus artikel ko nih...tak yah susah2 nk beli majalah/buku bagai....
Thanks for sharing.  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In trouble for being inquisitive
CHILDWISE by RUTH LIEW
MY son, who is nine years old, studies in a Chinese school. He is intelligent and a top student. My problem is he is very talkative, inquisitive and at times, annoying. Every answer is another question to him.
Since he started Primary One, my advice has fallen on deaf ears. He gets punished every day for talking in class. When I queried him, he replied that he could not control his mouth from talking.
I do not want him to be severely punished by the teachers for talking in class. Punishment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Concerned about teen son
Child Wise
By Ruth Liew
I HAVE three children aged 15, 13 and nine. The eldest and youngest are doing fine at school. However, I am concerned about my 13-year-old son. Since Year One, he has not been doing well. He is not interested in his studies. He has a lackadaisical attitude towards anything related to studies. He also has poor personal hygiene.
He does not show any concern at all, even when sitting for his exams. He just takes the days when he has exams like any normal day. He prefers to while away his time on other things, rather than revise his schoolwork.
He expects us to give him all the answers. Every time his father and I coach him, we are the ones doing all the talking; he maintains a silence throughout.
He refuses to think or put more effort in his studies. He has poor power of recall and cannot remember much of what has been taught. And, he gives up easily.
When I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up, he replied that he wants to be a teacher. There were times, too, when he asked his school friends for money and got into trouble.
I have noticed he likes to pretend to be a teacher. He would pretend to teach using the white board, when he抯 in his room. He also likes to play computer games. He抯 very good at helping out with household chores. He does these voluntarily and without hesitation. He will help to conserve energy at home when no one is in the room, help to lay the table for dinner and get it ready, and help the maid with the dirty laundry. He is also observant, inquisitive and has a good memory for other things not related to studies.
I am very worried about his future. I have scolded him many times and asked him to change his attitude and show more concern for his studies and personal hygiene.
However, I have yet to see any improvement. I have told him that I foresee a bleak future for him, given the fact that he is not knowledgeable, lazy to think for himself and has a negative attitude.
What can I do to motivate him to do better in his studies and show an interest in personal hygiene?
Worried Mum
Your middle child, at 13 years old, has been looked upon as the 揵lack sheep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anti-social behaviour
Childwise
By RUTH LIEW
I am a mother of two. My six-year-old younger daughter抯 behaviour lately has been worrying. I have received many comments from friends, teachers and even relatives who say that she has been violent with her playmates.
I have found out that she is easily frustrated. She uses force to solve her problems and has been reluctant to share and take turns. At times, she can be bossy and insists that others follow what she says.
She seldom talks, especially when everyone else is having a good chat. I try to encourage her to join in when we are having good time on a long car trip, but it is always difficult to coax her. Occasionally, she will say a few things. Her behaviour is very unusual for a six-year-old.
Lately, all her cousins have stopped playing with her because they fear her. Her reaction often involves scratching, biting, hitting and throwing hard objects at her playmates. Sometimes, she will burst out in a loud cry but will not say why she does that and she takes a long time to apologise.
Worried mother of two
It sounds like your daughter communicates differently from the rest of the family. When you have a child who is different from others in the family, she constantly has to defend herself and try to cope with her preferences.
To help her overcome her aggression, you can try to see the world from her perspective. When she talks, do people listen to her or do they only pay attention to her when she uses violence? Does she have to fit in with everyone else all the time? What happens when she does not fit in or wants to fit in?
When she acts differently and is rejected by all around her, this can trigger violent behaviour. Rather than making her feel worse about herself, you should help her recognise her feelings and her perception of all that is going around her.
Your daughter may lack the communication skills and ability to think before she acts. Instead of getting angry, teach her how she can use words that describe her feelings and seek new ways to obtain positive attention from others. Role-play with her on how to open and close communication. With practice, your daughter may be able to use words instead of force to face the challenges.
Encourage her by showing your support for her preferences. She may not like to talk when many people are around but prefer to have a quieter setting to communicate. Tell her that you understand that she will talk when she is ready. When you notice that she is making an effort to join in conversations, spur her on with compliments on her behaviour.
I抦 a full-time housewife. I have a son, aged 39 months, and daughter, 21 months.
For the past 10 months, my son has been behaving in an unusual manner. When he wants to perform a task and is not given the chance to do it, he will ask me to 搖ndo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Author
Post time 6-11-2007 09:56 PM
