Have you ever worked with a child who had a hard time telling you how he/she was feeling? This is a hard lesson for kids AND adults to learn! Sometimes it is just easier to kick someone instead of saying, “You hurt my feelings.” Or, it’s easier just to cry instead of saying, “I miss my mommy.” As mentors, we can help our kids work through these feelings by teaching them to name their feelings and to come up with solutions for different problems. A very simple way to do this with all ages of children is the BUG and the WISH method. Teach your child how to say what is BUGGING them and then ask them to say what they WISH would happen. Some examples include…
“It BUGS me when you pull my hair. I WISH you would stop.”
“It BUGS me when I can’t read like other students. I WISH I could read faster.”
“It BUGS me when you make me do worksheets. I WISH we could play games.”
Now, keep in mind that your mission is NOT to make every WISH come true, but allowing your child to talk about the things that BUG them will make it easier for you to understand how they are feeling, which will make it easier for you to talk about possible solutions with them. And, sometimes, you will just be that caring person who simply listens to someone share their thoughts.
Guess what? It BUGS me when no one leaves a comment after I post. I WISH more people would write comments! 🙂