You’re having a casual Saturday morning breakfast with your toddler. Your child is independent with feeding, so you start on the dishes while they finish their breakfast. A minute goes by and you haven’t heard your toddler babble over their banana slices like they usually do. Turning to sneak a peek at your child’s happy face, you drop the dishes in the sink in terror as you notice your child is gagging and isn’t breathing. Do you know how to save your child’s life? 

The Importance of Knowing CPR

No parent wants to think about what they would do if their child was unresponsive, so it’s understandable to push these thoughts aside. However, it’s preparedness that helps you not worry! It’s the responsibility of the parent to have the tools and knowledge necessary to protect or save their child.  

If you’re home with your child, you are the first responder in an emergency situation. While emergency services are exceptionally fast, it only takes four minutes without oxygen for your child to suffer permanent brain damage, and six minutes before they are dead. First responders are fast, but they may not be fast enough.

If your child isn’t responding, you won’t have time to ask Alexa how to perform CPR, look it up on your phone, or watch a YouTube video. The time to be prepared for an emergency situation is before the situation occurs. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use such information, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

What Is CPR?

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is an emergency procedure performed when the heart stops beating. 

The resuscitator alternates between compressing the chest to pump the heart and providing breath through the mouth for oxygen. Keeping the blood flowing and even small amounts of oxygen can help preserve life until emergency responders arrive on the scene.

Unlike what is often presented in movies, CPR will not restart the heart and revive the individual. An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is the only way to restart the electrical charge of the heart, so it’s vital to call 911 or acquire an AED during CPR. 

When Might a Child Need CPR?

We usually think of CPR being needed for elderly individuals, or during heart attacks or strokes. But children can need CPR, too. 

CPR is needed when a child is unresponsive. This means that the child’s heartbeat and breathing stop. Some causes for unresponsiveness include:

• Choking
• Drowning
• Electrical shock
• Excessive bleeding
• Head trauma or other serious injury
• Lung disease
• Poisoning
• Suffocation

Does My Choking Child Need CPR?

If the choking child is still responsive, they don’t need CPR; they need to have the obstruction removed. A choking child might:

• Have a weak or no cough
• Have a high-pitched squeaking noises or no sound
• Have pale or blue skin color
• Be unable to cough or cry
• Have a panicked, confused, or surprised appearance

Although the child is responsive, these symptoms are still life-threatening and you should call 911 immediately. It’s better to have emergency services available if you’re unable to clear the airway. 

How Can I Prevent Choking?

Cut all food into bite-sized pieces. Ensure that no food is circular shaped; foods like hot dogs, grapes, blueberries, etc., should be cut in half or quarters. Sticky food (like peanut butter) should be used sparingly. Provide a drink with meals

How Can I Learn CPR?

Take time, even today, to gather basic CPR knowledge. You can read informative and infographic articles on the internet or watch YouTube videos. 

But don’t stop there! Sign up for a CPR class that lets you practice on dummies, get feedback from instructors, and feel confident in CPR techniques. There is no substitution for getting certified in CPR. 

The American Red Cross and American Heart Association offer regular in-person classes in your area. You also might be able to find other local certification agencies by searching “CPR classes near me” in a search engine. 

There are online CPR classes, like those from the National CPR Foundation. However, these are not as valuable as in-person classes because you can’t practice on dummies, get feedback from instructors, or ask questions. If you’ve never taken a CPR class before, choose a local class instead. 

The Terrible Two’s is infamous for being the most challenging years of child-rearing. As toddlers grow in their mobility and communication, they want to assert their independence, even if their choices aren’t what’s best for them. When a parent tells them “no,” a meltdown is likely to ensue.

But as any parent with older children can tell you, meltdowns don’t stop once the toddler turns three–or four or five, or even older! The meltdowns just evolve as the child gets older, even if they’re not rolling around on the floor. 

Meltdowns are something every parent has to deal with. Here are some tips that will help you handle meltdowns, no matter the age. 

Stay Calm

Perhaps the most important approach to dealing with meltdowns is your demeanor and presence with your child. If you match your child’s frantic energy or force them to calm down by asserting your dominance, you can cause further damage.

Children mirror what you model. The best thing you can do for your child who is in meltdown mode is to stay calm. 

Think about staying calm from your head to your toes. Your face should be relaxed and kind, your voice calming and understanding, and your body language should be calming. When your child sees that you’re not angry at their tantrum, they will calm down much faster. 

Stay Consistent in Discipline Methods

There are dozens of discipline methods for meltdowns, and it’s the parent’s responsible to explore which method best fits the needs of your child. But once this method is chosen, it’s essential to stick with it, even when times get tough!

Consistency is crucial for a child’s development, and this includes discipline. When a child never knows the repercussions of their behavior, there’s less incentive to respond maturely. Why not have the biggest meltdown to see what mom does this time? But when a child knows that their meltdown will result in a consistent outcome, they are motivated to listen to your instruction on calming down.

Of course, there will be times in which it is challenging to stick with your discipline method. Perhaps you’ve had a long day, are battling an illness, or are under a lot of stress. Consistent discipline is hard, and it’s easy to let discipline slide. But your child is counting on you to be consistent no matter what, and for the good of your child, follow through with your commitment. 

Reward Positive Behavior

Good parenting doesn’t just give consequences for bad behavior, but also rewards good behavior. Your parenting job is made ten times easier by not just punishing the bad, but by rewarding the good. 

Your child’s room is messy, and you’ve told them to clean it up. They know that having a meltdown results in losing tablet time, but you’ve told them that cleaning up their room earns a trip to the park. Your child is not just incentivized by losing tablet time, but also by getting the reward. 

While rewarding good behavior is important, parents have to be careful to not fall into bribery. Children shouldn’t need a treat or reward for doing as you ask. Sometimes simply avoiding the consequence of a meltdown is a positive reward in itself. But don’t underestimate the power of showing pleasure towards your child when they obey! 

Children want to please their parents, and they will feel aptly rewarded when you show your genuine enthusiasm. Consider how these statements would motivate your child:

• “That was so fast!”
• “Thank you, that was such a big help to me!”
• “I’m so proud of you for doing what we talked about”

Try one of these or tailor them to your child’s specific needs and watch their eyes sparkle. You will feel a spark of joy in your heart, too.

Give Choices

Sometimes meltdowns occur because a child feels trapped into only one option. If the situation allows (but before a meltdown occurs), give two or three choices. Letting your child choose can eliminate a meltdown altogether.

Bonus tip: Your child is most likely to choose the last option you give them because that’s the one they remember. So if your child can choose a dessert at the party but you’d prefer they choose a cookie, you can say “Which would you like, a brownie or a cookie?” and they will likely opt for the cookie.

Prep for Better Choices

No matter how well you’ve handled your own emotions, used positive rewards, been consistent in discipline, or given choices, your child will still have some meltdowns. Part of this is just human nature, and part of it is developmental. Children still have to learn how to overcome meltdowns, so don’t be discouraged if meltdowns still occur.

Once your child has calmed down and can calmly understand you, it’s essential to pave the way for them to make better choices in the future. 

Review the situation together, gently showing how their choices led to the consequences of their actions. Then explain what would have been an appropriate response and encourage them to make better choices. Of course, it’s always good to remind them that you love them. 

Take Initiative Today 

No matter the age of your child, it’s essential to take charge of meltdowns. 

If your child is in or approaching the Terrible Two’s (or is a Threenager), save yourself time and turmoil by not calling meltdowns “cute” or “funny.” As your child grows, these meltdowns will only get more challenging to handle. Your future self (and your future child!) thanks you for dealing with meltdowns now.

If your child is pre-K, kindergarten, or older, and is still experiencing meltdowns, the exhortation is the same! Don’t hesitate to assemble a game plan for handling meltdowns. The only difference between younger and older kids is you can talk through these meltdowns in more depth (what triggered it, how they felt, what kept them from making good choices, what to do next time, etc).

Growing Self-Control at Penguin Crossing Academy

At Penguin Crossing Academy, we know that meltdowns happen. Our teachers are trained to be kind and compassionate with children having meltdowns and how to respond appropriately in a classroom setting. We also seek to work alongside parents, supporting your measures at home, and we rejoice with you when children gradually overcome their meltdowns.

A new baby is a blessing–but sometimes a big sibling may not see it that way. While many children are delighted to have a baby brother or sister, it’s understandable that big siblings may be dubious. 

Whether your child is excited or apprehensive, all big siblings need a little preparation for the journey ahead. 

How you prepare your child for a new baby is mainly up to their age and understanding of babies. The following suggestions are broken down into age-appropriate categories.

Be Realistic About New Baby Habits

It’s easy to just squeal over cute baby clothes or look forward to baby snuggles. These are a wonderful part of infancy, but there are realistic challenges and changes you need to prepare big siblings for.

Babies cry. They wake up at night. They require a lot of mom’s attention. They need a quiet space to sleep. If your big kid doesn’t know these will happen, they will feel caught off guard and may have trouble bonding with their baby sibling.

For every age, there are many excellent books you can check out at the library that will help your child get a more realistic picture of life with a new baby.

Toddler

Baby dolls are an excellent way to prepare both boy and girl toddlers for the new baby. Teach your toddler how to care for the baby: hold it, feed it a bottle, wrap it in a blanket, etc. Especially as you get closer to your due date, practice a routine like wrapping the baby, feeding it a bottle, and laying it down for a nap. Then play quietly (toddlers love to say “shh!”) while the baby sleeps.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children at this age have a better understanding of an infant’s needs, but they will still need lots of repetition for what life with an infant will be like. Your big kid might be apprehensive about how these changes will affect them, so be sure to present these changes realistically but joyfully. 

Early Elementary

Early elementary-aged children may be able to understand how their family is changing the best. They could be the most excited, or the most apprehensive or resentful. If they are struggling to accept the new changes, give them lots of understanding, but also include them in preparing for the baby. Let them pick out the nursery color, their going-home outfit, contribute to the gender reveal, or even the name.

Spend Special Time Together

One of the biggest uncertainties big siblings feel about a new baby is whether mom and dad will love them the same. This is an understandable concern because newborns do require so much attention. Even in the preparation phase, there’s so much to discuss, plan, and buy, and it’s easy for a child to assume their parents love their new sibling more than them. 

Besides reassuring your child that you love all your children equally, it’s vital to carve out time that’s just you and your older child. Starting this while pregnant will help ease any anxieties your older child has about a newborn taking extra attention.

Toddler

Toddlers may not be able to express what they want to do with you that feels “special.” This is partly because anything you do with them feels special! You can include them in just about anything you’re doing, from cooking to folding laundry, and this will be a bonding experience for both of you.

But don’t limit yourself to daily duties; a little effort goes a long way with this age group. Instead of just giving a snack, make it a little tea party with special cups and plates. Construct a blanket fort before snuggling to read books.

Many toddlers have a tremendous amount of energy, and their love language is through rough play. There are plenty of ways to incorporate rough play while maintaining safety, such as tickle games, pillow fights, or letting your child run away from you while you’re the “monster.” These are delightful bonding experiences for your child that fill up their love cup.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

At this age, your child loves to choose what they want to do. So let them have fun with choosing something special to do. Perhaps you watch a movie, read a book, paint fingernails, or go on a walk. Pick something you can talk while doing, so your child can open up in ways they haven’t before. 

Early Elementary

Children at this age may shy away from intentional parent-child time. But an excellent way to spend special time can be letting them stay up a little later to do a fun activity with you. Choose an activity that lets you talk, and ask intentional questions to help them express themselves. 

Involve Older Siblings in Preparing for the New Baby

A way to help older siblings be excited for a new baby is to involve them in preparation for the birth. 

Toddler

While toddlers may be indifferent to preparations for a new baby (they won’t care whether the nursery is baby pink or ballerina pink), it’s still fun to incorporate them in decisions. Let them pick out a special toy to give to the baby, buy them matching outfits, and talk about names.

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children at this age may want to be the most involved in preparations. Luckily, they can actually be good helpers! They love to open packages and arrange things into baskets. Let them pick out something cute for the going-home outfit. Make and freeze postpartum treats for easy snacking. 

Early Elementary

Early elementary kids have the greatest capability of helping. They can help assemble and arrange the nursery furniture, fold and put away new clothes, wash bottles, and more. You can also show them how to make basic meals or snacks so they can feed themselves if you’re caught up with a crying baby at mealtimes. 

Be Understanding About Their Apprehension

We’ve all seen the videos of a pregnancy announcement where the big sibling throws a fit. It’s funny and sad at the same time because, of course, parents want their big kid to be happy with them. But it’s also understandable for anxiety to overwhelm big siblings, and this causes them to feel apprehensive about a newborn.

The best thing you can do as a parent is listen to your child and be understanding. 

Toddler

The cause of toddler apprehension is often because of misunderstandings. Perhaps they think they’re being replaced, you don’t love them anymore, or you wish they were different. Clearing these up usually turns their fears into genuine excitement.  

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Children at this age may already have one or two other siblings, so their fears may be more based on their current relationship with younger siblings. They may not want to share their toys, room, or clothes with anyone else. 

You can remind them how an infant’s needs are different from those of a toddler, and they won’t be taking their possessions any time soon. It’s ok for them to feel confused or sad right now. But as a baby grows, they will feel genuinely excited to share things with their sibling because it’s exciting to see how a baby grows.  

Early Elementary

To a child of this age, a newborn can feel like a wrench is thrown into their lives. They may worry what their friends will think, if they’ll be able to do their old activities like sports or dance, or if you’ll have any time for them. 

Let them share all their anxieties, disappointments, and fears without interrupting. Don’t diminish how they’re feeling, but validate any reasonable worries. It may take extra time for early elementary kids to warm up to having a baby sibling, but remaining understanding and loving towards them will eventually win them over. 

The Best Prep for Siblings: Penguin Crossing Academy

Believe it or not, Penguin Crossing Academy is one of the best places to prepare your child for a baby sibling. Making friends with peers who have baby siblings can relieve a lot of anxiety as they hear their experiences. They will also see babies daily, which can help them comprehend what their own sibling will be like.

You can even make friends with another family in the infant classroom so your older siblings get a glimpse of what it’s like to hold or play with a baby.

All parents want their child to be well-liked by adults and peers alike. They want them to grow up into socially responsible and respectful adults. But this is especially challenging when culture doesn’t often reward honorable behavior and instead tolerates dysfunction. How can parents fight the uphill battle and win? 

What Does “Socially Responsible” Mean?

Someone is socially responsible when their occupation, hobbies, and relationships are not harmful to society or the environment. For kids, this might mean not vandalizing school property, throwing away their Gatorade bottle after soccer practice instead of littering, and standing up against bullies.

Reality Check: Parents as Role Models

Kids mirror what they see. This is a good reality check for parents. What are you teaching your child, through words, actions, television shows or movies, apps, books, are more? Are you a socially responsible person? Are you celebrating social responsibility, or are you letting things slide?  

These are critical questions to answer before expecting your children to be socially responsible themselves. If you discover ways in which you can improve, the first place to start is by bettering yourself, becoming the role model your child needs. 

Model Kindness

By far the most common denominator in any social responsibility situation is kindness. Without kindness, there can be no social responsibility.

Of course, this starts with parents modeling kindness. How can children know what kindness is unless they experience kindness themselves? Children look to their parents to understand kindness. The degree to which you give kindness to your children is the degree to which they will extend kindness to others. 

One way to teach kindness is for your child can ask themselves: would I want someone else to do or say this to me? If the answer is no, they can ask a follow-up question: what would I want someone to do or say to me? The hard part, of course, is doing what you would like to be done to you. 

Model a Team Mentality

Another aspect of social responsibility is being on a team. Once they make their way to the workforce, they must pull together with other individuals for the good of the company so they can continue being employed. They work alongside strangers for the good of the environment.

As a parent, you can model this team mentality in your own home. Everyone under your roof is on the same team. Celebrate victories, exhort one another to be better, have one another’s back. This will overflow into other relationships and set a firm foundation for their futures.  

Include Kids in Household Contributions

Before the Industrial Revolution, most families lived on farms, and everyone–man, woman, and child–contributed to the needs of the household. Everyone had a job to do, and the rest of the family was counting on them to do this job for the betterment of the family. This wasn’t burdensome, but actually very fulfilling for children to feel not only wanted, but needed.  

In our society, the expectation for children is to have a fun and carefree childhood. But really, our children thrive when they have some responsibility when they feel wanted and needed in the household. Not only that, but giving kids responsibility early helps them learn socially responsible skills.

Some ways kids can contribute to the needs of the household include:

• Picking up their toys
• Keeping their rooms tidy
• Cleaning up after meals
• Making meals or snacks
• Folding or putting away laundry
• Filling up pet food and water dishes

Let Them Fix Their Mistakes

No matter how well you teach social responsibility to your kids, they will make mistakes. It’s our natural parenting inclination to sweep in and patch up our kid’s mistake. If they forget their homework, you drive it to school. If they hurt their friend’s feelings, you apologize on their behalf. But this strategy does more harm than good.

Children need to learn how to fix their mistakes. This is a hard thing, but it’s necessary! You won’t be there for every poor choice or harsh word, and if they’ve never fixed a problem on their own, they will crumble. When children fix their mistakes, it will:

• Help them learn what to do differently next time
• Be a deterrent from making the same or similar mistake
• Give them a sense of accomplishment
• Bring true conflict resolution between peers or teachers

Teaching Social Responsibility at Penguin Crossing Academy

At Penguin Crossing Academy, we’re here to support you in teaching social responsibility. We always seek to model kindness towards children and we expect kindness between children and peers. Our classrooms have a team mentality where we support one another and have each other’s backs. The daily schedule has regular times for clean-up, child helpers, and volunteering. Penguin Crossing Academy reinforces all the hard work you’re doing at home towards raising socially responsible children. 

LEGOs are one of the most popular toys for a very good reason! They can be collectibles, left in their assembled form and prized on a shelf, or broken down and used in countless ways to bring your imagination to life. 

It’s hard to find a kid (or even an adult!) who doesn’t love tinkering with LEGOs. However, the same can’t be said for math. Many adults admit to struggling with math from a very early age, and many children today do, too. 

Luckily, you can engage your kids and make math fun by using LEGOs for their math homework!

Why LEGOs Help with Math Concepts

LEGOs are an excellent tool for helping children understand math concepts because they have a hard time visualizing math in their heads. Children (especially young children) need to see how adding one and one makes two. Concrete, visible examples are essential at these early ages.

But instead of gathering ten teddy bears, trains, or baby dolls, LEGOs are the perfect, transportable size. They snap together easily to show how two (or more) numbers combine to make a new number, and break apart for subtraction, division, and fraction practice. 

Both standard and Duplo LEGO blocks can be used for math. Keep in mind the age of your child (regular LEGOs are a choking hazard for children three and under) and their abilities. Small hands are less frustrated with large blocks. You can also tape numbers or use a dry erase marker on large blocks to practice more advanced math skills like skip counting. Standard LEGOs allow you to do large numbers with less space. 

Here are some creative ways to use LEGOs to enhance your child’s learning, no matter their age. 

#1 Basic Addition and Subtraction with Blocks

These straightforward exercises are easy and fun to complete. Use the blocks to represent the numbers in the equation to show your child how numbers work together. This reinforces counting skills and helps them visualize how numbers work together. 

#2 Introduce Place Value 

Adding and subtracting within the first nine numbers is fairly easy, but once you begin adding and subtracting with tens, hundreds, thousands, and more, things can quickly get tricky. It’s a lot for your child to visualize in their mind. This is why manipulatives (like LEGOs) help them keep track of numbers in their head.

Create a simple place value chart or paper (units, tens, hundreds, etc) like this one. Make multiple stacks of ten blocks for the tens column and have individual blocks for the units column. 

Write out some numbers or equations for your child to practice. For instance, ask them to use the blocks to make the number 13. They should place one stack of ten in the tens column and three blocks in the units column. Or to make the number 54, they should put 5 tens in the tens column and four blocks in the units column. 

#3 Addition and Subtraction with Place Value

Once they master this, they can begin to add and subtract. For example, 13 + 54 would result in 7 unit blocks and 6 tens stacks. 

Where the LEGO magic really helps is when they create a new tens stack. In the equation 15 + 19, they will see that 5 and 9 make 14; there are too many unit blocks and they have enough to create a new tens stack to place in the tens column. 

The reverse can be done for subtraction. Start with basic subtraction that doesn’t require borrowing, like 44 – 22. Your child takes away two tens stacks and two unit blocks. 

But let’s say the equation is 44 – 26. Your child moves a stack from the tens column to the units column, and then takes away 6 blocks from what is now 14. The LEGOs easily break apart so they can come to the right answer. 

#4 Skip Counting with Numbered Blocks

Using Duplo blocks, tape or write with a dry-erase marker the numbers that you want your child to practice skip counting. For instance, if you want your child to practice skip counting by 5’s, you would write 5, 10, 15, 20, etc, on individual blocks. Your child then stacks them up in the right order.

#5 Pattern Recognition

Although pattern recognition is generally taught as a pre-K or kindergarten skill, pattern recognition is essential for math at all levels. 

Give your child a pattern to replicate using different colored blocks. For a young child, these can be simple (like red, blue, red, blue, or red, blue, green, red, blue, green). But for older children, you can give them a greater challenge! You can choose a longer string of colors or an inverted color pattern (like red, yellow, blue, yellow, red).

After presenting them with your pattern, ask them to build their own tower to replicate yours. LEGOs makes it easy to do a side-by-side comparison and see if your child succeeded.  

#6 Measuring and Comparing Lengths

Young children are often tested on knowing a greater or lesser number ( < and >). This can be confusing when phrased in these terms, but are much easier understood when the child builds a LEGO tower. It’s easy to see that a tower 9 blocks high is greater than a tower 7 blocks high. LEGOs bring internal visualization to life for more concrete learning.

Math Activities at Penguin Crossing Academy

Whether for work or play, Penguin Crossing Academy loves building blocks! Penguin Crossing Academy provides age-appropriate blocks for children of all ages. Our teachers love using blocks to explain and enhance their math lessons and find that children better grasp math concepts when using LEGOs as manipulatives.

You’re running late for work and needed to leave five minutes ago. Your child still hasn’t found her shoes but she’s managed to find her lost purse, sticker collection, and birthday card from last year. You’ve repeated directions three times to get her shoes, and you feel on the verge of snapping.

Every parent has experienced this at one time or another. There are dozens of reasons children struggle to follow directions. It’s easy to blame these all on your child (after all, you did repeat yourself three times!). 

However, there is always room for improvement in the way parents direct their children. For instance, do you really have your child’s attention, or are you giving instructions while they’re playing a video game? Are you giving clear directions, or are your directions confusing?

Here are some ways to improve your communication so your child is more likely to follow directions the first time. 

Gain Your Child’s Attention

There’s no point in giving directions if your child isn’t listening. This will only frustrate you unnecessarily and lead to greater tension. 

We live in a world of almost constant distraction. We have so much to look at, listen to, and interact with, it’s no surprise that our children are distracted! So, before you give directions, ensure your child is attentive to you. This usually means eye contact, but can also be a verbal acknowledgment from your child (for instance, if they are in the other room).

Teaching your child to look at the person addressing them takes time and patience but is well worth the effort. Eye contact shows respect for the other person and is considered good manners. A well-mannered child is viewed favorably by adults, and this will only benefit your child! 

Watch Your Tone

You’re less likely to listen to your boss or other superiors if they are yelling, speaking condescendingly, or annoyed with you. The same is true for your children!

Children will mirror your demeanor, tone, and attitude. Speaking to them with annoyance, frustration, condescension, or other negative emotions will likely come right back at you. 

Choosing to speak kindly, respectfully, and positively, not only increases your chances of first-time obedience, but also benefits your relationship and models appropriate social interactions for your children. 

Ensure Understanding

After you’ve given a direction, allow your child a few seconds to process. Then, ask your child what the directions were. For instance:

• Where are we going in five minutes?
• What do you need to get from your room?
• When can you eat a cookie?

These kinds of questions ensure your child understands the directions and expectations of those directions. 

Give Instructions One at a Time

Toddlers and young children can’t follow more than one-step directions. For adults, it’s easy for us to remember “Get your shoes and jacket and get in the car,” but this is a lot of things for a little brain to remember! It’s not until kindergarten that most children can consistently follow through with two or more step directions.

It’s important to have appropriate expectations for your child’s age. If they are younger, give one-step directions (e.g., “Go get your shoes,” and once this has been done, “Go get your jacket”). This will reduce confusion for your child and frustration for you!

If your child is in elementary school but still unable to follow multiple instructions, it may be appropriate to give one-step directions for a season. If your child truly does need one-step directions, this approach will quickly grow their confidence to achieve two-step (and more) directions. If your child is just being lazy, having to go back and forth will get tiresome after a while and they will decide it’s better to do everything all at once. 

Be Clear and Specific

A parent’s brain is whirling with what’s for dinner, changing the laundry, meeting a work deadline, responding to emails, and much more. These jumbled thoughts can often result in unclear instructions to our children. 

Before giving directions, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts so your instructions can be as clear and specific as possible. Numbering directions on your fingers can also be helpful. For example, “You have soccer practice today, so put your cleats, socks, shin guards, and a snack (numbering on your fingers as you go) in your soccer bag”. Then ask your child to repeat back (with numbering on their fingers) what you asked of them. 

Give Simple Choices

There are times when a parent must decide on behalf of the child, and other times when the child can choose. While these can be helpful for the child to express themselves and be independent, be careful not to give complicated choices. For example:

• Would you like to wear the pink or purple dress?
• Would you like chocolate or vanilla ice cream?
• Do you want to ride your scoot or bike on our walk?

Giving your child more than two or three choices can feel overwhelming and can result in an avoidable meltdown. 

Following Directions at Penguin Crossing Academy

At Penguin Crossing Academy, we aspire to train children who are attentive and follow through on given instructions. Our teachers are clear and kind when giving directions and have age-appropriate expectations and techniques for training children to be attentive listeners.