![]() You want to be able to bend but have a backbone like a pipe cleaner. You don't want to be super rigid, like a popsicle stick. When I talk with kids about being flexible, I first have them start by feeling the different materials. ![]() Yarn is super flexible but has no structure that allows it to stand on its own. Popsicle sticks, on the other hand, really can't bend without breaking. I love pipe cleaners because they are flexible but they still have some rigidity to them. They always end up in interesting and weird contraptions all wrapped around each other. My own kids love pipe cleaners, maybe a little too much. I decided to use three materials we always tend to have around in my house: Sometimes a visual demonstration can help show what it means to be flexible. They shouldn’t always let somebody else have a turn first, always giving somebody else the first choice of what color they want to be when playing a game or always having somebody else go ahead of them. However, you also want to make sure that your kid isn't being too flexible. It makes other people feel good and other kids want to be around a kid who is flexible. When kids are flexible they tend to do better in social situations. It's working together to solve a problem. It's giving other people a chance to have it their way instead of having it your way all the time. It's being willing to not go first, not be the one who's always in charge, not be the one who's always telling the other person what to do or what you will play when. Part of it is being nice but it’s so much more than that. What exactly is flexibility in people? It’s not about being physically flexible, but more about having a flexible brain. While I think it's good that she knows to be nice to her brother it's actually not what flexibility is all about. I finally asked asked her “What do I mean when I say be flexible with your brother?” She said “be nice”. As I watched, she continued to be inflexible. ![]() Today my son was a little cranky, so I asked her to be flexible. I say it to her all the time and I always thought she understood what I meant. I realized recently that my daughter doesn't know what being flexible means. Here are some of our pictures from one of our lessons! □įrom here, my student and I worked on learning how to brainstorm, how to accept change, and how to be a good problem solver! I found that the brainstorming visual was really helpful, and my student and I thought of as many different solutions as possible – even if they were “not so good” options – once we had lots of different ideas, we were able to talk about the pros and cons and decide what the best, and the second best choice was (in case the first one didn’t work!).Have you ever had one of those parenting moments where you realize you thought you had taught your kids something, but realized you actually never had?
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