Friday, September 03, 2010

To whom do we give attention?

Whenever I am home in the evenings I like to ask the kids if they want to go on a bike ride. Greg and Sara said yes last evening. I don't have gears in my bike, so the kids invariably charge out ahead of me on the sandy country road. Toward the end of the long ride, though, Sara fell behind and started to whimper loudly. I asked what was wrong. She did not answer. So, did I continue to cater to her and give her attention for expressing her misery? No! Instead, I told her that she would be going to bed as soon as we arrived home. She recovered amazingly, and soon passed me on the home stretch.

If you give kids attention when they are whining and wimpering, you lay the groundwork for that child to become a whiny, wimpering adult. I want to give attention to the child who is tackling a challenge, who is displaying good humor and enjoying life.

2 comments:

Mrs. Who said...

Heh...makes me think of my students who try to get attention with 'tummy aches'. I tell them it's too bad they'll have to miss recess. Amazingly quick recoveries have occurred!

Terri Wagner said...

It always amazed me and frankly still does that my parents never seemed to let me whine but did my sister. Know what nothing's changed in 50 years. She still whines to get her way and it works and I don't. But that works for me.