Debmita Dutta's Blog, page 104

Do you know why children don't listen?

​“My child just doesn’t listen!!” Complain parents who consult with me.

“Of course children DON’T listen!!” I say

They don’t listen – simply because they SHOULDN’T listen.

If they listened to us - we would fill their lives with

“mustn’t” “don’t” “shouldn’t” and “can’t”.

We would undermine their courage and confidence and ensure that they never attempted anything that seemed impossible.

But nature wants children to achieve the impossible. Children are born believing that they are unstoppable. They are equipped to block our instructions and disregard our prophecies of doom.




​Because they are armed with the ability to ignore us – children are able to march on and change the world.

Children are programmed to rebel.

When children don’t listen – they are not trying to insult us and purposely make our lives difficult. It is not personal.

Our job as parents is – not to wipe out the rebellion – but to tame the rebellion so that it is productive and not disruptive.
And we can make this happen. We can make our children listen to us – if we understand why they don’t listen.
 
Here is why children don’t listen

We don’t show our children how to listen – We ignore our children when they speak to us

Listening is learned behaviour. Children learn how to listen by watching their parents.

The clichéd “Don’t worry that your children are not listening to you – worry that they are watching you” Holds true here as well
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We must be good role models and listen to our children when they talk.

If you ignore your child when he says something – he will ignore you when you instruct

We don’t give them enough attention – We pay attention only when they don’t listen

A helpless child can only resort to passive aggression to protest against what he doesn’t want or doesn’t like. And the easiest way to do that is to stop listening
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Show your child that he is valued and important by respecting his opinion and wishes at certain times. Rest assured that he will respect your opinion and wishes at other times

We instruct children without ensuring that we have their attention – We don’t respect their work.

We adults are busy – as parents we have so much to do.

But are children free? No. They are busy too.

 What they are busy with may seem unimportant and inconsequential to us adults – but it is important to them.

They are constantly working towards growing up and are engrossed and preoccupied.

Before we speak – we must connect with them by getting down to their level and looking into their eyes. Only then can we hope to be listened to

We use the wrong tone – We either drone on or shout

Children decide whether to listen or not from the way parents speak, and their tone.

When parents constantly drone on with instructions – the monotone prompts children to tune them out. It works best to not lecture, preach, or instruct them forever.  

Children have short attention spans. Short crisp sentences that state exactly what they are expected to do – work best.

Shouting doesn’t help either. Anger is a threat to the child and he immediately shuts his brain down and begins to think of ways to escape instead of listening.

Be interesting!

We use the wrong words

When we begin with an accusatory word like “You…….” a threatening word like “If…….” or a challenging word like “Why…….” Children feel threatened and go on the defensive.

The anger and fear generated by these words cause children to go into non-cooperation.

Think – before you speak
 
We are repetitive and predictable
 
When children don’t listen to us – we repeat our instructions over and over until they are executed.

Children are quick to realise that they will have multiple opportunities to do what they are asked. They know that their parents will ask them several times before they explode with anger

As smart as they are - they begin to wait for the explosion. It becomes their cue to listen.

They begin to listen for the angry voice. They ignore everything before that.

And this becomes a habit.

Don’t become a nag. Say it once. And then allow children to experience the consequences of doing or not doing something.
 

When talking to children remember that they were born to be in charge. Just like you.

Remember that they don’t like being told what to do. Just like you.

Be gentle.

This is Why Children Run Away

Have you ever felt like running away? I have.

I wanted to run away two days ago – when there was a huge pile of dishes in the kitchen sink. I often want to run away when there is a pile of laundry to fold. And every 6 months or so – when I am exhausted from being the brave working Mom – I feel like running away for a vacation.

Yes – there are times in our lives when all of us feel like running away.

Why do we feel like running away?

The thought of running away is liberating because the physical distance that we are able to put between ourselves and our problems holds the momentary promise of making us feel free.

Running away promises liberty . It makes us feel that not all problems require solutions.

When you run away you feel empowered. You are able to take your life back by putting distance between yourself and the parts of your life that displease you. You imagine that because you are in a new physical space you have left your problems behind.

When we leave we feel like we are in control once again . Leaving makes us feel like we are calling the shots – even in the midst of chaos

Why is it important to stay when we want to run away?

When we make it a habit to change our physical environment to solve our problems – we feel comfortable only when we are on the move. Moving away from discomfort begins to look like the only viable option

We begin to crave the comfort that comes from being in control. And since we know from experience – that the easiest way of taking back control is by leaving the place where the problem is – that is what we do.

Our automatic response to fear and discomfort – becomes to run away.

But fear must be overcome - by challenging and embracing it . Not by running away

The only way to win where others have lost – is to refuse to run away when we are afraid

And this is what we need to model in our lives for children to replicate in theirs

Unfortunately however – with our Parenting we often teach children the exact opposite of what they need to learn.

We teach them that they can and should Run Away

We teach our children that we are powerful when we leave

“If you don’t come – I am leaving without you”

We threaten our children like this all the time. In the park, at a birthday party at the mall.

What this teaches children is – that leaving is the easiest way in which we can exert and exercise power and control.

From us children learn – that the easiest way to terrify and blackmail someone who loves you and coerce them into doing what they don’t want to do – is to leave – to walk away.

They learn first hand how terrible the desperation being left behind is – and when they have the opportunity they skilfully engineer this desperation and use it to their advantage.

In what they know of as the sure fire way to cause desperation - they leave home – they run away

We teach our children how easy it is to escape problems by changing environments

“Don’t go down to play – those children fight with you – just stay home and play Xbox”

“That teacher is terrible – I am going to change your school”

“If you don’t like the dinner that’s served – just eat Maggi”

“It’s really hot – go switch on the A/C”

These are instructions that we give without thinking – because they are the easiest solutions. And with these instructions we teach escapism.

Children are sponge like in their ability to absorb, learn and do exactly what their parents are doing

As parents, we are the role models in our children’s lives. We have to show them – not tell them - how to navigate the problems that the world throws up.

With our thoughtless everyday actions however – often what we teach them is escapism.

Instead - we must teach them that they need to stand up and fight to get comfortable

We teach our children that fear can just be wished away – we need not face our fears

“Stop crying! There is nothing to be scared of! It is silly to cry like this” 

On the first day of school…. at the swimming pool..... whenever things go wrong and our children encounter unhappy feelings – we brush them off immediately.

We teach them that fear is something to be ashamed of. And that no one else is afraid other than them

We convince our children that they are not feeling what they are feeling. As a result they never learn to tackle their feelings and instead learn to constantly run away from them

It is infinitely better in such situations - to say something like this

"I know you're scared, but I will stand with you and together we will face what you are afraid of – until you are no longer scared.”

It is important to embrace the truth and help children work through their confusing feelings.

It is important to overcome our fears and use them as the rungs of the ladder to grow.

 We overreact when our children make mistakes

“How could you do such a thing? What will people say? What will happen now?”

Yes - many of us say things like this when our children go wrong

We forget that mistakes are a part of life. And that a lot of what we learn in life – we learn by making mistakes.

Our reactions to our children’s mistakes determines what our children learn from their mistakes.

A balanced reaction can serve as a learning experience.

An unbalanced reaction can make the child angry, resentful and afraid.

Panicking when our children make mistakes teaches them that making mistakes is not acceptable. And when mistakes happen – instead of owning up to them and trying to rectify them – we must run away from them - otherwise there is chaos.


This is what we must teach our children 

The primitive defence mechanisms of our body and mind will always prompt us to run,
but it is important not to do listen to the run commands that come down to us .......because
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We can run away whenever we want to - but we can never escape

How to give children Freedom while keeping them safe

Freedom is magical

Nothing makes you feel as powerful and alive as freedom does. When you are free – you feel like there is nothing that you can’t do.

As parents we want our children feel invincible. We want them to feel powerful.
And for that we need to set them free.

Every child – at every age wants freedom – demands independence and seeks autonomy
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What sort of freedom should we give our children?

Freedom is so easy to demand and so difficult to give - especially when you are a parent.

Letting go of that little hand. Or letting that little face go out of sight, wrings out our hearts and squeezes out our consciences.

It is terrifying to allow our children out into the big bad world and we are scared of letting them out of the fences that hedge them in.

Contrary to what we imagine however, setting children free does not require us to remove all boundaries.

Children in fact do not feel free when they are let out of all boundaries.

When there are no boundaries – children feel exposed and constantly fear for their safety. Their anxiety keeps them from feeling free.

Children feel free – when we define large but firm and inflexible boundaries (depending upon the age of the child) for them.

The railings of the crib for example give a baby the freedom to dream and roll to his heart’s content because he knows he will not fall out. Similarly, children feel free in the park because there are walls that keep them out of the danger from moving vehicles – unlike when they are compelled to play on the road.

Teens constantly push the boundaries that hold them in – but only to make sure that the boundaries are impossible to breach. Only when they know that there are boundaries that will keep them safe – are they able to confidently dream and create.

Children are fully aware of their battle against their own impulses to do things they know are not safe. They know that the odds are stacked against them when they are alone. And when they push against your boundaries – all they are trying to do is, ensure that they are safe.

How much freedom can you give a child without compromising safety?

As we go about parenting our children – every day – almost all the time - we are compelled to choose between what may be good for them (namely safety) – and what may be even better (namely independence).

Should we choose to keep them safe by locking them away from all danger?

Or should we set them free so that they are able to build the skills they require to face and overcome danger?

How do we cultivate our children’s aspiration for independence and autonomy – while keeping them safe?

That is every parent’s daily dilemma.

And when we are faced with this dilemma - it is important for us to remind ourselves that

Only freedom is can ensure safety

We cannot keep children safe by physically attaching ourselves to them.

It is only through engaging with the world that children gain the resources to manage risks. It is only when they encounter the dangers of the world first hand – that they develop strategies to deal with these dangers and learn keep themselves safe.

Overcoming danger and coming out safe – is the only way to develop confidence.

Just telling children about the dangers of the world is useless and counterproductive. It can either terrify them or make them dangerously curious and eager to get into dangerous situations.

The only way in which we can ensure safety for our children – is - giving them lots and lots of opportunities to engage with the world.

The 3 Skills your child needs – to stay safe without you present

The ability to make good decisions – Stop telling children what to do 

Decision making is an art that is perfected with lots and lots of practice.
 
In our enthusiasm to have trophy children who are “perfect” in all that they do – we often constantly instruct children in what they should do and how they should do it.
 
This results in children shutting down their brains because they get used to instructions.
 
A child who is unable to think will be not be able to think his way out of threatening situations and this can be dangerous
 
Allowing children time for free play is one of the most important ways to help them learn and practice decision making.
What do I want to do now? Whom do I want to play with now?
Making such small decisions every day helps the child learn how decisions are made and also that decisions have consequences.


 A well-defined personality – Allow children to be themselves 

In our enthusiasm to see our children as our own mirror images, we sometimes forget that our children are born unique and different from us.
 
It embarrasses us to see qualities in our children that we don’t understand. And it prompts us to constantly prevent children from doing what they want to do and saying what they want to say. As a result of this they grow up with grave doubts about their own thoughts and opinions.
It is important to allow children to grow separate from us. We must allow children to be different from us. We must encourage them to be themselves and have no doubts about who they are, what they think and what they want to do in a given situation
 
Your child will face challenges that are very different from the ones you faced because he has a different personality and is growing up in a different era. He will have to come up with solutions himself. And this will be possible if you have allowed him to grow into an independent person whose personality is not tangled with yours.
 

An degree of immunity to peer pressure – Stop comparing and competing

One of the greatest sources of danger is peer pressure. Children feel pressured to do things that they would otherwise never have done – because they feel compelled to be like their peers.

The seeds of peer pressure are sown by us parents from the moment the child is born.

We compare our child’s behaviour, his skills and everything else to every child we encounter. We tell children that they need to be like everyone else. We convey to them that if they don’t do what everyone else is doing they are inferior and not good enough for us.

It is this habit of comparing that makes our children prone to peer pressure and makes them do things that would never have done otherwise – all because they aspire to be like everyone else

Allow children to craft their own definition of success. Support them when they succeed and also when they fail

Remember the Golden rules of giving your child Freedom

Teach your child not to fear the unknown. Encourage them to explore, discover and conquer the unknown

Infuse confidence and courage in your child. Teach them to be bold. All the freedom in the world is useless unless you have the courage to use it to your advantage.

Celebrate Independence Day - the Tata way

​Long long ago – before we started equating Independence Day with sleeping in late and pushing through the crowds at sales………in a small town called Jamshedpur……..this is how we celebrated Independence Day …the Tata way

A sleepless 14th August night in the heavily surcharged atmosphere of expectation - was the norm when I was growing up. Independence Day always left me breathless with its promise.

I didn’t know much about what independence meant in those days, but I could feel the tears that were just beneath the surface in my mother’s eyes as she spoke about that day in 1947 when they listened with disbelief as the news of freedom travelled to them many hundreds of miles in distant Kharagpur from Delhi. As the long play record of patriotic songs trilled on continuous replay she told us about how the streets were filled with a joyous madness when independence was announced.

Her sentiments would probably have remained alien to me had it not been for the Tatas who even thirty years later managed to inject the same mad enthusiasm and patriotism into this national holiday. If you lived in Jamshedpur it was impossible not get swept up in this wave of patriotism.

In our little town this was not a day for sleeping late. We would patter out in our pyjamas at 4 AM to watch the Prabhat Pheri as senior school children paraded the roads of the town.  As the Prabhat Pheri permeated our sleep drenched eyes it would dawn on us that the long awaited day was finally here. Frenzied fights would ensue as we fought to get to the bathroom first in our rush to be the first ones to be dressed for the Flag hoisting and our faithful record player would be silenced in deference to the patriotic songs now booming all over the TELCO Colony. Even the worst cynics would be forced to sing along.

As we threaded our way through the sea of people on the way to the stadium, we would buy armloads of paper flags and wave them high in the air. Then inside the stadium, my parents would have to struggle to keep us in our seats through the flag hoisting and the march past of the twenty odd schools and ten departments of Tata Motors. They would finally relent and lift their restraining hands as the crowd favourites – the canine section and the live band went past.

There were no televisions to drag us home and a palpable sense of regret pervaded as the ceremony wound up. Reluctant to go back to the mundane, little groups would crowd into friend’s houses and breakfast with more tales of those years before 1947.

Now – so many years later – when my eyes cloud with tears every time I hear the Jana gana mana my heart fills with gratitude for those lessons in patriotism that the Tatas taught me. 

Let’s give our kids a small peak into what patriotism means today.

Warning! Don't Insist On Too Much Obedience

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Do you get upset when your child doesn’t listen to you?


I can’t blame you if you do. It is inconvenient to have a disobedient child.


But as we enforce rules and discipline – it is important to remember that it can be dangerous and damaging to raise a child who cannot disagree and is unable to revolt and rebel when required.



A child who cannot say "No" is an easy target for bullies

A child who cannot say "No" is an easy target for abusers

A child who cannot say "No" will not be able to stand up to and resist peer pressure.

Suffering through the consequences of bullying, abuse and adverse peer pressure can be much worse than suffering through the inconvenience of being disobeyed.

And therefore – it is important to teach children how to stand up for themselves, for their thoughts ideas and principles.

Children must be taught how to disagree. They must be taught how to say no.

They must be taught how to think. They should be able to argue their point of view in their own minds so that when they say “no” they are taken seriously. They must learn how to argue without being abrasive and how to convince without being crude and discourteous.

When two people – whatever age they may be – live together – they are bound to disagree on certain points. It is a normal, natural consequence of living together.

A two year old who refuses to move or refusing to eat is expressing dissatisfaction and demanding change. A teenager who locks himself in his room or dresses inappropriately – is doing the same.

When we don’t teach children how to express themselves – they resort to socially unacceptable ways of expressing themselves. When children express themselves like this – they often damage themselves – without achieving the change they desire.

Imposing our will on our children by demanding compliance or using brute force saves us precious minutes on busy days but it also discourages thinking. It hampers the development of essential communication skills that are vital for the safety and well-being of our children.

When children are dissatisfied with a particular situation and want to change it – they must be able to express their dissatisfaction and disagreement in a way that will bring about the change that they desire.

They must learn how to speak and express themselves in words

Children model themselves on their parents. They learn how to tackle life situations and deal with disappointments and dissatisfaction from their parents.

If you are a parent – here is what you should do

Lead the way - explain your reasons for making rules

Children must learn how to express themselves in words. And they learn how to use words effectively from their parents.

When children say “Why” or “I won’t” – they are asking us to explain our reasons.

And when they ask for a reason and we say “Because I say so” – it is the equivalent of your teenager slamming the door in your face

Make an honest attempt to explain the reasons behind the rules you make. State all the facts – practice openness in communication. Argue your point until your kid is convinced.

 It is only when children learn how to put their point of view across convincingly - can they actually swing adverse situations in their favour.

Allow your child to explain his point of view

Listening is a very important part of effective communication. As parents we rarely listen.

Listening is hard work but if we want our children to listen to us – we must listen to them.

Allow your child to make some decisions

Children rebel and revolt when have no say in what happens. The rebellion may be active and include shouting and aggressive behaviour. Or it may be passive where the child gives up on dressing well, keeping his room clean and not getting school work done.

Be gracious and say “it’s your decision” in some areas of his life. For example - let him make decisions how he would like to spend his pocket money without offering any guidance. Let him learn from his mistakes

Give in sometimes – don’t make everything an ego issue. Some things are not worth an argument

Because we are parents – several times – we insist on being obeyed. We demand obedience on trivial issues that we could easily let go.

Children pick up on this and begin to equate obedience with a loss of face and an injury to their pride and ego

If we want our children to give in to our wishes – we must model gracious surrender for them.
It is important to show them that giving in is not something to be ashamed of – so that they can obey us with their pride intact

Also allow your child to speak and when your child manages to convince you – give in with good grace. Say “I didn’t agree at first but you convinced me”
 
Focus on presentation – avoid slander. Speak with grace

Treat arguments like organised debates. Speak in a calm composed voice and do not resort to bad language or character assassination.

The way you speak when you announce something – sets the stage for how the rest of the conversation will evolve. Don’t be dictatorial. Your child will learn to speak in the same tone that you use to address him.

Encourage healthy debates on family issues and don’t forget to pause and look at the humorous side of situations

Once a decision has been made the matter should be dropped

Debates should be closed once a decision is made.

Needling a child with an error of judgement made in the past is a mistake and prompts a communication shut down in the future

 
Encouraging children to express themselves in the safety of their homes is an important step towards letting them know that their opinions matter.
Children must understand that they do not always have to agree.
They need to know that they do not have to do what others say.
All they have to do is – to be able to justify what they want to do - to themselves and to the world – by arguing it out in words.

Are you using the right words to discipline your child?

In my practice as a Parenting and Wellness Consultant – I find most parents extremely concerned about disciplining their children.

Every parent wants a disciplined child, but most parents are confused about what it really means to discipline.

Discipline is not equivalent to punishment.

When we discipline – we teach. We teach a child the rules of living in the adult world.

It is important for us to understand that the rules of the adult world don not make much sense to children. The rules they are expected to follow have been made by people who are at least 20 older than them in age and several light years apart in experience, reasoning ability and the capacity for self-control.

Children have a completely different idea of the world from their parents.

No child for example is born knowing that he/she should not write on walls. It is their natural instinct to want to express themselves artistically on walls – the way cave men did! It is up to the parents to show them where else they can express themselves artistically and praise them when they do so – if they want them not to write on their walls.

It is important therefore to communicate the rules of the world – to children in a way that makes sense to their level of understanding.

Children who understand why they are doing things a certain way – grow up to believe that they are in control and are masters of their own fate. They feel competent and grow up to be socially well adjusted adults.

Everything that children understand about the adult world and its rules - depends on the words, we as parents use to explain and enforce these rules.

It is vital for parents to hone their communication skills and polish their discipline vocabulary –

Negotiate with the word “when” instead of “if”

Life without negotiations and contracts is impossible.

But when you say “If you do X then you get Y” – it immediately leads the child to question “What if I don’t do X?

Replacing “if” with “when” automatically tags the task with a reward and motivates positive behaviour

Always praise or correct the “behaviour” and not the child

It is important to keep the child’s behaviour separate from him.

Always emphasize that children are always good. It is their behaviour that is sometimes good or bad.

And that the purpose of discipline is – to change the behaviour to make it better


When you scold explain the reason and provide an alternative

Every scolding should have three parts.

A command to stop the bad behaviour. A reason why the behaviour must stop. And an alternative to the bad behaviour.

For example “Stop hitting. When you hit you hurt your friend. Ask your friend nicely for the toy”.

When we ask children to stop doing something without telling them why and without telling them what they should do instead – they don’t learn anything.

Every rule must be made while stating the outcome and consequences

A rule about clearing the table should be made like this.

“When you finish eating you must take your plate to the kitchen and put it in the basin to wash. If you don’t do that it attracts flies. Remember to pick up your plate immediately and you will not have to clean the whole table before your evening snack”

Motivate by encouraging competition with the clock to reduce conflict

All children like to win. It motivates them to do things and do them faster.

Setting a timer and asking children to race the timer and get a task done before the timer rings – is an effective way to enforce discipline without a power struggle.

Saying "Lets race the clock and finish before the timer rings " reduces the parent child conflict because it transfers authority to a neutral figure – the timer.
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Through their childhood - children evolve from immobile horizontal beings who only have “needs” – into walking talking individuals who have “wants” in addition to “needs”.

As we enforce discipline we must remember to be larger and not just bigger and stronger. We must remember – that while we are in positions of power and can make the rules – we are not dealing with puppets. We are dealing with little people who have their own needs, desires and feelings which they are still not able to express adequately. And we must behave accordingly.

Fortify Your Child Against Bullying

I don’t want my child to be bullied. Nor do you.

We are afraid of bullying. We are afraid because we know how terrible it feels to be bullied.

We know this because at some stage or the other of our lives – all of us have been bullied.

Childhood bullying is a much talked about topic and so we focus on bullying in schools and playgrounds. But you know as well as I do – that bullying does not end with childhood.

 Bullying happens at the workplace, bullying happens in marital relationships. There is the possibility of being bullied in family relationships, in friendships and in every situation in life that involves another person.

No parent ever plans to rear a child who will become an easy victim for a bully. But in many cases without ever intending to – we weave the very characteristics that bullies are looking for into the inner fabric of our child’s personality.
 We make our children feel small. And bullies pick on people who feel small (even if they are big physically) We fill our children with fear. And bullies pick on people who are frightened. We damage our children’s self-esteem. And bullies pick on those who have low self esteem.  We teach children that they must constantly strive for our approval and love. And bullies pick on people pleasers who are desperate to fit in We withdraw love when our children fail to meet our expectations. And bullies pick on people who do not feel worthy of love and feel compelled to constantly do something to earn love. We demean children by comparing them to others. And bullies pick on people who are ashamed and anxious because they are different in some way 
Bullying is a mind game. And if we don’t want our children to be bullied – we must fortify their minds against bullies.
As parents we wield immense power. With our words and actions – brick by brick, we build our children’s personalities.
 
Be careful not to say the following things because they can create cracks in your child’s personality.
 
“What is wrong with you? Can’t you ever do anything right? You are useless!”

When we demean and criticise our children like this, criticism becomes their inner voice. Such children begin to believe that there is so much wrong with them that they become easy targets for anyone who wants to bully them. With our unthinkingly uttered words – we destroy their self-esteem.

Make sure you build your child’s self-esteem by emphasizing that life is fun only when we embrace and overcome difficulty and that failure is a part of the journey, not its end.

“Why can’t you do this? Everyone else is able to do it.”

Comparisons that we make with the intention of motivating our children to do better – only makes them feel inferior because they are different. Bullies target those who are ashamed because they are different. And a child who believes that he is inferior because he is different is easy prey for any bully.

Every moment of every parent child interaction must focus on how unique and special children are – because they are different from everyone else

“How could you do this – what will other people say” or “How could you do this – what will other people think”

Bullying is a mental game and one of the commonest ways a bully threatens and coerces a victim into submission - is by playing on his fear of what others will think or what others will say about an incident or a characteristic. Bullies use this fear. But this fear is created and established in the minds of children by their parents.

It is impossible to read the thoughts and minds of others. And teaching children to torture themselves by imagining what someone else is thinking is useless. It is impossible to know what someone else is thinking and even more impossible to change that - so why bother.

Do your bit to eliminate bullying

Bullies are cowards. They never target the strong or the brave.

We can prevent and eliminate bullying. And we can do that by bringing up our children to be strong and brave. We must tell children to love themselves and take pride in who they are and what they have.

Let us teach our children to accept, acknowledge and take pride in their flaws and differences before a bully comes along and convinces them that they should be ashamed.
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Let us eliminate bullying by ensuring that there are no more victims.

Are You Giving Your Child The Gift Of Happiness?

What do you want for your child?

Most parents would answer this question with “I want my child to be happy”

Yes – what we want most – is for our children to be happy. And we are usually willing to do whatever it takes to make them happy. We buy them what we think will make them happy and we say what we think will make them happy.

And we then expect the rest of the world to follow suit and keep doing whatever it takes to make our children happy.

The rest of the world however does not care.

Life throws up difficulties. Life throws up adversities. Life scares us and makes us want to run away. And life then challenges us to be happy in the midst of all this.

The only way we can ensure that our children are happy is – by teaching them how to laugh and smile – especially when things are really not that funny.  When children learn to laugh at themselves and their own mistakes – they become resilient. Nothing then can puncture their self-esteem and self-confidence.
When children learn how to laugh at adversities – they become brave. Nothing then scares them or seems terribly discouraging.
When children learn how to make others laugh – they are loved, admired and adored.

Every child is born with the intense desire to be happy, to make others around him happy and to laugh. Just pick up a baby’s hands and clap them together – it will certainly make him laugh. Smile and laugh at the clapping and he will laugh more. And make a funny face and he will go off into peals of laughter.

As the busyness of life takes over however – this inherent desire to be happy and to laugh at just about anything and everything – is sometimes lost. As families – we begin to stress on petty things and ignore the important. And this slowly erodes our children’s sense of humor.

Laughter is the magical ingredient that makes life beautiful.

A good sense of humour is one of the most valuable gifts we can give our children – because humour helps put things in proper proportion and view them in the right perspective.

A good sense of humour is vital for good mental health. Being able to look at the humorous side of life – is in fact an essential tool for survival.

10 ways to build your child’s sense of humour

Delight in imperfection
Remember that a sense of humour develops gradually. Little children find little things funny and as parents we must recognize that.
Initially, just seeing things done in the reverse order or having things put upside down can make children laugh.
Toothpaste on the reverse side of the brush or a shoe on the head – is extremely funny to a small child

It is important to abandon attempts to be perfect all the time and attempt to make children perfect. Constantly aiming to be picture perfect leads to children being serious and unsmiling.

Any slight imperfection then - easily confuses them and makes them unhappy

2. Be funny yourself

Never be ashamed to be funny or do something slightly silly if it elicits a few laughs.

A sense of humour develops gradually and needs an environment in which everyone around is routinely attempting to be funny and trying to look at the humorous side of incidents and happenings

3. When children attempt humour – just laugh

 When children attempt something funny – laugh enthusiastically to encourage them.

Wearing things the wrong way or using puns in sentences to change their meaning are the earliest ways in which children attempt to make others laugh. It is important as adults to laugh at their attempts and not look embarrassed or attempt to correct them

Enjoy childish attempts to be funny – even if it doesn’t appeal to your evolved sense of humour.

Always let children know that you enjoy hearing their laughter and approve of their fun

4. Build an atmosphere of laughter around mundane chores

Life is always going to be busy. Don’t try to schedule a time to laugh. Weave laughter into everyday chores and tasks.

Pretend you are chasing children in the house as you get them to do tasks. It generates giggles and laughter and is often a much easier way of getting tasks done around the house – than yelling at them and ordering them around.

Tease them gently, wrestle with them and rough house with them as a routine and watch them erupt with laughter 

Always smile with a twinkle in your eye when you make eye contact with your child. From an expression like this – it is easier to transition to laughter.

5. Teach children how to laugh at themselves

When a child unintentionally does something that makes others laugh – encourage him to see the funny side of what he has done – and laugh at himself.

Make sure that your child understands that minor mistakes are not disgraceful and should be laughed off.

6. Show children that life is not such a serious affair

Encourage children to see the funny side of the little fights, slights and insults that they encounter in the playground or in their interactions with other children.

Show them that life is really not such a serious affair at all and it is not necessary to take offence or burst into tears all the time.

7. Teach children how to tease gently and cope with teasing

Teasing is usually one of the earliest ways in which small children attempt humour. There is nothing wrong with teasing if it is not hurtful.

Telling children not to tease usually does not work because it is an essential developmental stage in the evolution of a sense of humour.

Teach children what is not funny and what should never be joked about.
Build their emotional skills and show them how to perceive when they are beginning to hurt the other person and when they should stop teasing. Teach them how to be gentle while being funny.

Also teach them how to cope with teasing and enjoy being teased.

8. Make sure the shows children watch are really funny

Watch age appropriate humorous shows with children.

Keep them away from adult comedies – they teach children the wrong kind of humour.

It is best to avoid cartoons where beating up others and hurting them is considered funny.


Laughter is a gift and a sense of humour is an asset that we must certainly give our children. It is the only way to ensure that our children have a chance to be really happy.

Allow Your Child To Get Bored - for these 7 Reasons

“Mamma – I am bored” says your little one.

And that dreaded declaration fills you with an overwhelming guilt.

To you - the dedicated and committed parent - the statement sounds like an accusation. You consider it a personal affront.

And you jump up to correct the situation. To make things right.

You rush around to arrange an activity for your child. Or if you can’t – you arrange for entertainment by switching on the TV or another device.

But should you?

Should you assume responsibility for your child’s entertainment?

Should you wallow in guilt if they are bored?

The answer is NO.

Why parents should allow boredom

Reason 1

Creativity is the mind’s voice that can only be heard in the silence of boredom.

Children need to have time in which they are doing nothing. They need to get bored in order to use their imagination and unleash their creativity.  Children must be taught to cope with the panic of boredom so that they can reach the stage where the brain can be creative
Reason 2 .

Children need to get bored to start dreaming

It is important that children have the time to just “stand and stare” so that they can observe and dream. Dreams are essential. Every invention and innovation was someone’s dream before it became reality

Reason 3

Boredom is an opportunity for self-discovery

Boredom is the child’s opportunity to spend time with himself – to listen to what his mind and heart are saying and find out who he really is.

Reason 4

Being alone and unoccupied is an exercise in building self-esteem

. Being alone and potentially bored tells your child that he does not constantly require someone else to be happy. In the silence of boredom children smile to themselves and say “I like myself.” “I enjoy my own company.”

Reason 5

Constantly providing entertainment can set children up for failure

Rushing to entertain your child whenever he is bored or diligently filling every minute of your child’s day with “things to do” is a mistake. When children are occupied like this, they begin to expect constant stimulation and instant gratification. This can set up children for failure, because as is well known – success is always the result of persistence and the ability to endure the torture of delayed gratification – both of which are extremely boring. Instant fixes to boredom can also kill the motivation and self-reliance required to organize entertainment.

Reason 6

Devices are the wrong way to escape boredom.

Devices offer entertainment temporarily. They set off the Dopamine reward circuit in the brain which makes your child crave devices when they are not around – much like an addiction

Reason 7

Enduring Boredom is an essential life skill

It is important to teach children how to endure boredom. Because as they grow older - bored children are likely to turn to dangerous activities and substance abuse to satisfy their brain’s demand for stimulation.
 

What Bored really means and what you should do about it

A child who is complaining of being bored is not necessarily saying that he has nothing to do. He could be saying one of the following. I am bored = I want your attention No matter where children are or what they are doing – what keeps them going is the fact that they belong to their parents. Children thrive on attachment. It is the fuel that keeps them going. At short intervals – children need to refuel with parental love before they can enjoy their own company again. When children crave attachment and parental company it causes them actual physical discomfort. It either makes them lethargic and listless because they are lonely, or agitated and restless because they are anxious. In the majority of cases – this is what they mean when they say they are bored.

Remedy - Make eye contact with your child. Draw him into a bear hug. And rejuvenate him with a smile and if possible some laughter.

I am bored = I can’t sit still anymore. I need to move around Bodies are meant to move. Movement makes us happy. Movement improves our mood and helps us concentrate. When we move, the mind perceives the environment around us changing because the view in front of our eyes keeps changing. Since boredom is the inability to connect with the environment – tricking the brain into believing that the environment is changing, makes it happy. Moving around also helps children to get closer to the objects in their environment. They are able to look more closely, touch and feel and thereby connect better with their environment – thus alleviating boredom.

Remedy - Allow children to move around. Allow jumping dancing and shouting. Yes – children need to vent all that energy. It is wrong to restrict them. Just let them be.

I am bored = I want some unscheduled time for self-directed play Children are not just bored when they have nothing to do – they are bored when they have too much to do. Overscheduling a child with a host of activities and entertainment means that he has absolutely no control over his own life. When a child engages in self-directed play he challenges himself just enough. The activity is neither too easy – nor too difficult. He also has full control. He can stop the activity he is involved in or switch to another activity as he pleases without worrying about another person’s reaction.

Remedy - Allow children to play on their own. Don’t be afraid of messes.


Remedy what children perceive as boredom, but teach children to encounter and endure actual boredom. Because as Leo Buscaglia said and I quote
​
“A child develops best when, like a young plant, he is left undisturbed in the same soil. Too much travel, too much variety of impressions, are not good for the young, and cause them as they grow up to become incapable of enduring fruitful monotony.
A generation that cannot endure boredom will be a generation of little men, of men unduly divorced from the slow processes of nature, of men in whom every vital impulse slowly withers, as though they were cut flowers in a vase.”

Is your child a "difficult" Pre-schooler because of you?

“He just doesn’t sit in class”

“She doesn’t listen”

“He doesn’t follow instructions”

“She disturbs all the other children who are trying to work”

No parent wants to hear these complaints when they ask how their pre-schooler is doing in class.

Unfortunately however, these are complaints many parents are compelled to hear about their heretofore angelic children when they first join pre-school.

Complaints such as these can make parents feel dejected – disappointed and possibly even devastated.

When a child starts preschool – every parent is waiting anxiously for a good review from the child’s preschool teacher.



Yes – it is the first time the child is away from the parents. The first time he/ she is alone in an unfamiliar environment.

And every parent wants to hear the teacher say that their child is doing wonderfully well in the new environment.

Unfortunately however, a lot of parents do not hear their child’s preschool teacher say that.

A lot of parents are told that their children are “hyperactive” or “difficult”

Shocked and embarrassed parents, who are trying to cope with the knowledge that they have a disruptive child – often behave in an adverse manner – and this usually ensures that the child’s behaviour becomes even worse.

It is important to remember that when children are “difficult” – it is often the result of “well-intentioned” “excessively loving” parenting.

Watch out if you are doing these 5 things! Your parenting may be the reason your child is becoming "difficult".

 Watch out! You may be overdoing the PRAISE
 
Do constantly clap, say “very good” or “wow” when your child does something he is supposed to do?

It can lead to him doing things only to elicit praise from you.

When a child first learns to do something – he needs to be praised in order to understand what he should do and what pleases you and is acceptable.

Once the learning phase is over however, children must transition to doing things because these actions give them pleasure or make them feel competent.

Before children begin school – they must get used to intermittent praise from external sources. They must learn that gratification in the form of praise from adults – is often delayed. They must in fact learn how to praise themselves.

Teach your child to work by himself. Teach him to and encourage himself by giving himself a pat on the back and tell himself “I really did well”

Children never develop the ability to do this if you always rush in to praise everything they do all the time.

Watch out! You may be giving your child too much ATTENTION

One of the most important things a child needs to learn to succeed in school in order to fit into the class room is – to be able to continue an activity by himself when he is not the center of attention.

When we teach children that we are always prepared to drop everything and give them attention as soon as they ask – we set them up to expect the same from everyone else.

It is important to teach children that everyone has a right to come first sometimes and that everyone has to take a turn at coming last.

While it is not right to constantly tell your child you are too busy for him. It is also very wrong to never let him know that you are busy.

“Please wait – I will listen to you when I have finished talking to Aunty”

“Can you just give me a little while to finish this email? I will then come and see your lovely painting”

“Let me finish my workout. After that I will make you your sandwich”

These are all expectations that are acceptable for parents to have from a child.

Watch out! Your child may have no idea what it means to be QUIET

The excitement of having a baby in the house can really set adults off. Being around a child can make them feel compelled to constantly be boisterously entertaining. And this can result in the child being unaware of how to spend quiet time.

A child who is constantly the center of attention at home feels compelled to entertain the adults around him and can take to running around and making noise.

A child used to doing this at home is likely to carry this behaviour into the classroom. And racing around the classroom when he is supposed to be sitting and working – can make him extremely unpopular.

It is important to teach children the value of quiet companionable silence – when two people can be around each other doing their own thing – without talking to or entertaining each other.

Working at different things while sitting together at the dining table can teach your child a lot.

Also visiting a place of worship regularly – where decorous behaviour and silence or hushed whispers are expected for a short while – can teach your child a lot.

Watch out! You may not be teaching your child to KEEP TRYING until he succeeds

To enjoy school and succeed at school – children need to have the confidence to try something even when it is difficult. They need to have the will to persist at it even when they don’t succeed. And they need the resilience to withstand criticism and not get crushed by it.

As loving parents anxious to protect our children from the trauma of failure – we often tend to jump in to help our children as soon as we find them face to face with a challenging task. By doing this – we abort the process of learning and discourage them from tackling anything difficult.

“Try it – you will get it if you keep trying” – is a sentence we need to repeat to our children whenever we find them struggling.

Watch out! You may not be showing your REAL SELF to your child

Showing all your real feelings to your child may scare him, but completely disguising your emotions is also not right.

Children need to see their parents angry, upset and scared. They need to know that others also have the same feelings and that these feelings have names and are natural.

Always listen to your child’s fears and anxieties when he expresses them. Listen with sympathy and acknowledge his feelings. Never deny them or pretend that they do not exist.

It is scary for a child to go out into the wide world and clarifying his emotions can make him more secure.

A secure child can cope better on all fronts and overcome the challenges that preschool poses – with ease.

 
Coping at preschool is the first real challenge you and your child face together. Overcoming the challenge successfully can be a tremendous boost for life and it is important to ensure success.
Make sure you avoid these mistakes. They can ruin the Preschool experience for your child.