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Mar
10
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 This may sound strange, but during a recent visit of about ten local kids to our house I was more than a little relieved to come around the corner and catch a big brother roughing up a little brother. Unaware that we were in the vicinity, the elder had just delivered an elbow thrust to the chest of the foot-shorter sibling and then followed up with a solid slam of his brother’s torso into the wall for good measure. I thought to myself, “Whew! So it happens in other families, too.”
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Archive for the ‘Arguing & Fighting’ Category
Blog Posts by Annita Woz
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Jan
29
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It is late January and my home is knee deep in the post-holiday let down, pre-birthday craze, cabin fever zoo/mess! Now that I’ve finally packed up all the holiday “stuff” and the new toys have been well broken in, it seems we are back to hearing the mantra, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do…” and the incessant whining or fighting between the kids. Today, all I can think about is how spoiled my children can be! They don’t even know how lucky they truly are; it saddens and frustrates me. Granted we don’t have an extravagant lifestyle by any means, as we are somehow living on one income, but I do my best to provide games, toys and resources for the kids that, in my mind, enable them to never have “nothing” to do. Of course every mother wishes her children would be grateful and enjoy what is offered, but too often they act as if it is just never enough. Sometimes I just want to yell, “Enough!” myself!
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Dec
31
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We want our children to learn to speak and communicate. We want them to become independent thinkers. We also want them, someday, to stand on their own. Well, believe it or not, these are some of the key factors to explain why some children argue with their parents. According to the Department of Families, “arguments between brothers and sisters are one of the ways that children learn to respect other people’s belongings and feelings.” Children are just like adults. We like to present our ideas and sometimes argue to express our opinions or points of view. Children, however, are just beginning to learn how to argue without being disrespectful. Below are some pointers to help parents teach their child how to share their thoughts without offending others.
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Nov
25
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A new study asks, “Are certain parenting techniques, like using commands with kids, short-circuiting brain development?” Tracking more than 8,000 children, the findings suggest that regardless of socioeconomic background, small differences in communication style can have an impact on children. Evidently, “Mothers and fathers who mainly talk to their offspring using commands rather than reasoning, often get their kids to do what they want, but they may also be short-circuiting brain development.” What!? So now arguing with mom and dad is a good thing?
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Mar
13
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This week, my 13 year old son’s verbal abuse turned physical for the first time. Needless to say, the incident really shook me up, and I ended up phoning the Parental Support Line of the Total Transformation Program for help. Here’s what happened: My son refused to eat leftovers at home the other night. He wanted to go out for a sit-down dinner. I didn’t want to give in to his tantrum. Then again, I worry when he won’t eat. I decided to get us out of the tense situation by bringing him to a church function with me, along with stopping by a fast food place on the way.
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Feb
27
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Some children demand constant attention and will not take “no” for an answer. Just as children need to learn the importance of saying “please” and “thank you,” they need to learn how to appropriately make requests. If you’re the parent of a demanding child, rest assured that this is not a new problem and there are many, many people in the same boat. Demanding behavior from children is as old as Socrates…and remember, a demanding child provides a parent with an opportunity to teach.
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