When a baby cries, it’s natural that we pay attention, because the baby is expressing a need that we must satisfy. However, the baby must learn, progressively, how to tolerate frustration. One of the things that a toddler must leave behind, however painful it may be, is the pacifier, which so often calmed the baby’s hunger and anxiety. As mentioned, the baby seeks to satisfy needs by crying; however, progressively the baby needs to learn, through practical acts because he or she is not ready for explanations, the following: Not everything can be attained There are other ways to…
According to a fashionable theory, all that we have to do to achieve what we want, is to desire it ardently. That’s the secret! Supposedly, we are sending messages to the universe so that it will arrange things in a way that fulfills our desires. This ‘theory’ claims to be based on quantum physics. The idea is that if a person has a positive attitude and is convinced that he or she will achieve what he or she proposes, the facts are likely to corroborate that expectation; on the other hand, if the person is fearful, moody and thinks…
In my book WHAT DO I DO NOW? NO ONE TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A MOM! we narrate the hypothetical case of Susana, whose the children do not obey her. She relates feeling powerless to properly guide her children. That mother also pointed out that when her children misbehave, she usually threatens to tell their father when he arrives from work. That is not much help, however, since the father, depending on his mood, sometimes ignores her and on other occasions punishes them so severely, sending them to bed without eating, for example, that she herself ends up…
Learning by observing others, also present in many animals, opens up to the human being an enormous, quick way of gaining information about endless things, in addition to acquiring values and attitudes, as well as ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Recognizing this highlights the value of example as a powerful method of teaching, which has been recognized since time immemorial and which contemporary psychology has done nothing but corroborate. The example or modeling can be direct, through parents, family members, teachers, friends, and anyone who interacts with children. It can also be indirect through books, movies, television, and…
When a child arrives home with poor school grades, parents tend to get very upset and what they usually do is punish him or her severely, which not only does NOT fix the problem, but in fact aggravates it. Facing any domestic event, such as leaks, devices that do not work, etc., the attitude of adults tends to be much more rational; they would usually look for the causes of the problem and based on that investigation, they would fix it. CAUSES OF POOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE When faced with something as sensitive and transcendent as the problems their children…
Assertiveness consists of expressing personal opinions, feelings and needs in a socially acceptable way, as well as defending our rights and respecting those of others. It also includes the full exercise of our social relations, whether recreational, confrontational or directive, in both friendly and hostile circumstances. As can be seen, assertiveness consists of finding an adequate balance between your claim and personal expression, while respecting those of other people. Also, in the full exercise of social activities, enjoying or directing them if that is the case, and confronting others when required; regardless of whether the relations are friendly or…
Regarding the convenience, or not, of extending the period of time in which the baby sleeps with parents, there are different opinions that should be considered. I will make the following comments on them, in order that the reader may make her or his decision. Some authors (Knobel, 2013) focus their position on the right of parents to have a space for themselves, and state that the baby must get used to being alone and learn to tolerate frustration; so the baby should sleep in her or his room once the quarantine is over, or when the parents have sex…
In a previous chapter, School and Emotional Learning I, following M. G. Rincón (2012), we said that schools should not only teach children to count, read and write; they should also educate them emotionally by providing them with intra and interpersonal skills. On that occasion we spoke of the first of these: self-control, stress management and identification of emotions. Among the interpersonal skills, we then commented on personal hygiene, smiling, making eye contact, courtesy and truthfulness; leaving for this opportunity, empathy, communication and conflict resolution. About empathy we can say that after 5 or 6 years, the child begins…
School should not only teach children to read, write and count, but also to relate appropriately to themselves and to others. This is achieved in various schools in Canada, in which children are endowed with intra and interpersonal skills. The experience is related by M. G. Rincón (2012), whom we will follow in this chapter. Training in intrapersonal skills, and this is especially important for the less fortunate, is directed towards self-control, stress management and the identification of emotions. These form the basis for the development of interpersonal skills. INTRAPERSONAL SKILLS. We will mention the following: 1.1 Self-control: Children…
It often happens that a second child arrives when the oldest is three or four years old. At that age children are very curious and want explanations, and the sexual question is frequently one of their concerns. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SEX EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN The subject of sexuality is often very emotionally charged and therefore seems difficult to approach with any objectivity. While some see it as something dirty and an expression of our lowest instincts, others, wanting to depart from that position, assume an absolute tolerance for any sexual behavior, as if it should not be subject…