Tag Archives: social skills

Letting Kids Learn to Resolve Conflict

Conflict is a fact of life. As much as we hope for peace and tranquility and smooth human relations, the fact is that it takes work. This doesn’t mean that peace and positive relationships shouldn’t be our goal, but children do need to learn and develop good conflict resolution skills. The only way to learn how to resolve and cope with conflict is through experience. While we want to set an example for our children when it comes to conflict resolution, and we will definitely need to intervene as parents from time to time—we really need to allow our child … Continue reading →

Yes, You Can Talk Too Much (And Too Loudly)

I write often here in the Home Business Blog about communication—how to communicate well with customers, clients, prospects and vendors. We’ve talked about different types of words that work well and how to negotiate sales and contracts—not to mention how body language can affect our abilities to be effective in our businesses. But, after being in a store over the weekend and hearing an employee who just wouldn’t stop talking (and he was talking loudly too), I thought it might be a good idea to mention that, yes, a person CAN talk too much and too loudly in the business … Continue reading →

When Your Child is Teased

Teasing is supposed to be fun, right? At least that is what my mother taught us when we were growing up. She had two pat statements. One was “teasing is supposed to be fun” and the other was “if no one is laughing is not funny.” This was her response when we would try to excuse our mean-spirited behavior or things we said to others by saying: “It was a joke!” Still, sometimes our children have friends or peers who take teasing a little too far–or our child is especially sensitive–and teasing becomes a problem. I’m differentiating teasing from bullying–where … Continue reading →

The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You…

Has your child got rhythm? Sounds like a strange question. But have you ever contemplated how your child’s sense of rhythm might be affecting every aspect of his life? Ka-thump, ka-thump… Each of us has an internal mechanism in our brain that enables us to use rhythm and timing for nearly all the things we do. When we play sports, type on a keyboard, dance, play an instrument, ride a bike, and engage in conversation, we are using timing. The inner-meter in our brain tells us when to start something and when to stop. We know how to do everything … Continue reading →

“Your kid is HOW old?” Guiding Your Child To Age-Appropriate Behaviors

Children with special needs often have developmental delays which may cause them to be more immature than their peers. Mental retardation, autism, and various learning disabilities can create a noticeable gap between a child’s developmental age and his or her actual age. For example, an eight-year-old girl with Down Syndrome might be fixated on carrying a tattered baby blanket. Or a boy on the autism spectrum who is ten might want to wear a Barney T-shirt. It’s a good idea for parents to help guide their special kids into behaviors which are more age-appropriate. Does “age appropriate” really matter? I … Continue reading →

“Leave Me ALONE!” The Child Who Seeks Emotional Isolation

Some children become so discouraged with their sense of self that they simply withdraw. Rather than compete with other kids, which they feel they can’t do because of their many inadequacies, they choose not to participate. And rather than disappoint the adults in their lives, they choose to build a wall of silence. These are the students who sit in the corner, fiddling with a pencil, refusing to raise their hand or join the group. They often feel frustrated by adult attempts to engage them in conversation or to force them to participate. As I have noted in previous blogs, … Continue reading →

The EYES Have It: How Eye Contact Can Transform Your Child

in your eyes– the light the heat– in your eyes– I am complete– in your eyes– I see the doorway to a thousand churches– in your eyes– the resolution of all the fruitless searches– in your eyes — Peter Gabriel The Power of Eye Contact There is a dramatic, powerful human connection that takes place when two people gaze into each other’s eyes. Its effect has marveled people throughout time. Eye-to-eye gaze between two individuals can send the subconscious message, “I see you. I want to understand you; I want you to understand me. I care about you.” In the … Continue reading →