Behavior Tip #2: Bullying and Self Control

My daughter just turned 6, and it amazes me how much she actually understands about words, meanings, concepts, etc.  But just when I feel so amazed, her maturity level creeps in and I know we still have work to do.  In addition to her maturity level, is the fact that she struggles with self-control and impulse control.  Although she doesn't realize it, pushing another kid out of the way so she can be first down the slide is, in fact, bullying. So is name-calling or other unkind words directed at friends.

The technique we've learned to use, to help her better understand what she should and should not do, involves an invisible line just under her chin and the correlation to being a "smart" child (which implies she can pursue her dream of being a race car driver!).

The rule is, if she is using a part of her body BELOW the line (arms, feet, hands, etc.) then she is not being smart.  If she uses a part of her body ABOVE the line (eyes to watch, ears to listen, mouth to say what she means, etc.), then she is being smart.

This actually worked like a charm, she understood it very well as we tested her comprehension.  The only glitch is with name-calling. You have to be a step ahead and explain that even though she used her mouth, the words she used describe something below the line (i.e. poo-poo head, etc.).

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