Alaira and Natalie got into a heated conflict over the silver teapot this morning. They both wanted to use it, and neither was willing to give an inch. The scene quickly escalated into a teapot tug-o-war with Natalie on the floor, still holding onto the teapot spout and Alaira standing over her, with a death grip on the teapot handle.
Further investigation determined that the REAL issue was that Natalie wanted to serve coffee but Alaira wanted to serve tea.
I assured everyone that we could pretend to serve ANYTHING that we wanted....there was silence as our friends took this in, and THEN in one of those golden moments, a breakthrough occurred.
Mia S.(who, along with McKenna, had been observing this scene with great interest) said, "Yes, we can pretend whatever we want. I can pretend it's MILK!"
McKenna: "And I can pretend it's WATER!"
The conflict was resolved. Alaira began serving cake, and Natalie poured unnamed liquid into cups. The girls went on with their tea party as if nothing had happened.
As I was moving away to work with another child, I heard Natalie say under her breath, "You drink tea with sugar and sugar is bad for your teeth...so this is coffee."
Getting Bigger:
This morning, Allie J said: " I don't want to play, I just want to talk about how I'm getting bigger!"
Thoughts about Spring:
Corbin: It's warm and I like it! In just about one more day Spring will be here!
Jalie: Spring means it's a beautiful day all the time.
Mia Gleinser: We can play hide and seek allllllllll the time!
Sophia: Yes, it's Spring and we garden.
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6 comments:
I'm so glad you wrote about this, Krista, because it's something us as teaching guides focus on. A lot.
Positive conflict resolution is huge, especially at this age, when children's self-identities are being formed. This takes time, love, and a ton of patience, but it's a gift that pays enormous dividends. And confirms for us another reason why play is so important for our young friends.
I'll close with this quote from an article from Alliance for Children.
"Research shows that children who engage in complex forms of socio-dramatic play have greater language skills than nonplayers, better social skills, more empathy, more imagination, and more of the subtle capacity to know what others mean. They are less aggressive and show more self-control and higher levels of thinking."
Peace and Love,
Andrea
i was a witness to it all ;) those girls were determined. i love how Krista, you don't get flustered. you gently said 'it looks like you're having a hard time...can i help?'. i remarked to Ruxandra that i wish i had someone come up to me and say the same thing. she said she'd probably cry and fall to pieces. adults are rarely so gently and empathetically cared for.
thank you for your fabulous conflict resolution and being there for our children, helping them sort things out...be it coffee, tea, milk or water.
i know they feel so safe with you.
Wow! Thank you for sharing this. You handled this with such grace. This actually makes sense. *Andrea, I love your response too!! On the way home McKenna asked to visit the duck pond, then she changed her mind and asked to go home to eat oatmeal. Then she changed her mind again. By the time we got home I said, "Let's take a snack to the duck pond." She was very excited. I ran inside, grabbed a snack and ran out. When I returned to the car she said, "No duck pond." Will (little brother) was interested in going, so I decided that we would go despite her LOUD requests not to... well, when we arrived at the duck pond she said, "Mommy, I am just having a hard time. I just want to stay in the stroller, ok? Sometimes I just have a hard time." I was STUNNED that my TWO YEAR OLD was able to manage her emotions and then articulate them to me in such a rational way. This was a long way to say, the conflict today made a positive impression on McKenna. THANK YOU.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing, Andrea and Krista. I think so much of this ability to resolve conflicts peacefully shows when I see Jalie play with her TL friends outside of and after school as well. I've really seen her negotiation skills and patience improve.
Ditto to what Nicola said. Thank you for fostering peace and communication amongst the kiddos. I've noticed that Allie has become an even-kinder, more connected soul since she's been at TL. (Well, despite a couple of relapses, no?!!)... I appreciate your mad skills, Krista!
I'm glad it all worked out. You guys are real pros! This is the exact reason I believe it's important for kiddos to go to a school like TL. I think others would have taken the toy away and made everyone miserable. Your love and attention has been unparalleled and Natalie is showing real growth and maturity for her young age. Thanks again!
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