Pretend City Children's Museum to Host Annual Parents Symposium ...

THERE?S NO PRETENDING WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS FROM YOUR CHILD?

Are you overwhelmed by the BIG behaviors that your child sometimes exhibits?? Pretend City is hosting our annual Symposium for parents this month where leading child development experts will share valuable insight as they deal with challenging behaviors.? We would love for you to join us on October 24, 2012 from 6:00pm ? 8:30pm.? Here are a few tips I can pass along which will give you a taste of what you will learn from the other parenting experts at the Symposium.

1. When your child is acting out, remember to HALT.? H-A-L-T is an acronym for four important things to check out before you proceed.? Ask yourself, ?Is my child:

Hungry?

Angry?

Lonely (lonely applies to all big feelings like fear or uncertainty)?

Tired?

If you identify any of the above as true, you know where to begin to help alleviate the problem.? It?s a quick checklist to run through and may save you a whole lot of energy if you can take care of these items first before being sidetracked by their behavior.

1. Check your expectations.? Is what you expect from your child realistic?? Understanding what is typical behavior for your child?s stage of development is critical in setting realistic expectations. For example, if you have a 2-year old and you expect them to sit quietly while you watch your TV program, it?s safe to say that your expectation is unrealistic.? When they are 5-years old, this expectation is more realistic as they can color or read or play quietly.? On the flip side, if you expect too little, that?s a problem as well.? Sometimes children act out because parents are too restrictive and don?t allow children to challenge themselves. A key rule of thumb is to never do for a child what they are capable of doing for themselves ? it sends a subtle message to them that you don?t believe that they are competent. The more you understand about what is developmentally appropriate for your child, the more you will set realistic expectations ? for your child and for yourself.

1. Set reasonable limits and be as consistent as humanly possible.? Diversion and redirecting is a great way to move children away from a behavior that you want them to change.? Redirection is effective in some cases.? In others it is important to set reasonable limits for your child.? Setting reasonable limits helps children learn social norms and learn to manage their own behaviors.? If you are in a restaurant and your 4-year old starts throwing silverware, you need to set boundaries on what is proper behavior in public for them ? and remember to be as consistent as possible with the limits you set. Redirection is generally effective with infants and toddlers moving gradually into reasonable limit setting as children move toward their pre-school years.

Explain to your child why something is unacceptable, but don?t over explain.? One of the biggest problems I see today?s parents making ? and it seems to be on the increase, is that of over-explaining.? It almost seems as if parents are wanting their child to somehow validate that parents are doing the right thing by setting limits. While limit setting is not popular with your child, parents shouldn?t be seeking their child?s approval for the way they parent.? It is up to parents to learn about child development, set reasonable expectations, and do what is appropriate for their child in each new stage of their development.

Children often use challenging behaviors when they lack more appropriate behaviors or skills to accomplish the same goal or to communicate the message. During the Pretend City Symposium, our panel of experts will share ways to understand challenging behaviors and will discuss a range of helpful tips dealing with ages from birth to 10 years of age. ? We hope to see you there!

Linda Hunter, MA, LMFT

Senior Education Director and Chief Operations Officer, Pretend City

Linda earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Development and Master?s Degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy from the prestigious Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena. Linda joined Pretend City in 2002 prior to its opening and has over 40 years of experience working with children and families in both the fields of early childhood education and family therapy.

About Pretend City Children?s Museum

Pretend City Children?s Museum features a small, interconnected city designed to ?build better brains? through purposeful play, hands-on learning experiences, role playing, and educational programming.??As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving all children, it depends on community-based funding and guest support.??Through 17 interactive exhibits and activities guided by a highly trained professional staff, children learn foundational?math, reading and science skills, while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, organization, teamwork, self-confidence and socialization.??The museum is a unique community resource offering developmental screenings and tools for families, educators and community agencies working to ensure that each child gains the experiences needed to discover their potential and build toward a productive and fulfilling future.??Pretend City Children?s Museum is located at 29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618. For more information, please visit?www.pretendcity.org.

Source: http://www.theiemommy.com/2012/10/19/pretend-city-childrens-museum-to-host-annual-parents-symposium/

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