Thriftylady 11:18 AM 07-05-2016
If I have to say "keep your hands to yourself" or "use your inside voices" one more time. My youngest kiddo is 5, so these things shouldn't be a hard concept. But the yelling in the house, play fighting, just touching each other to touch each other, etc seems impossible. I swear I say both those phrases at least 150 times a day each. Any advice?
MrsSteinel'sHouse 11:33 AM 07-05-2016
stop saying them
another reason I don't take school age kids. Here are my suggestions-
let them work it out when they can, model this for them.
accept that it is going to be loud
figure out what interests them. When they are involved in something that helps. One year my school agers made modge podged keepsake boxes. It took them a long time and they turned out lovely (my kids still have theirs 15 years later) but some type of project. Paint a tree branch and let them make things to hang from it (mobile style). We made puppets one year. I did a lot of science (sandwich bag science is easy). paint a mural. you get the idea, if you need more ideas let me know.
If they can't work with others then they need to be in a place that they can be by themselves- reading a book, drawing,etc
I often times turned on books on tape so they could listen to a story while working on something.
games, we use to play lots of games. Jump ropes. Have contests- who can jump the highest, the furthest, who can touch their elbow with their tongue? etc
Have them do chores- clear the table, wash and put away dishes, sweep the floor. Be sure they are part of the daily work.
reflect on when you are having issues and change it up.
MrsSteinel'sHouse 11:36 AM 07-05-2016
Thriftylady 12:16 PM 07-05-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
stop saying them
another reason I don't take school age kids. Here are my suggestions-
let them work it out when they can, model this for them.
accept that it is going to be loud
figure out what interests them. When they are involved in something that helps. One year my school agers made modge podged keepsake boxes. It took them a long time and they turned out lovely (my kids still have theirs 15 years later) but some type of project. Paint a tree branch and let them make things to hang from it (mobile style). We made puppets one year. I did a lot of science (sandwich bag science is easy). paint a mural. you get the idea, if you need more ideas let me know.
If they can't work with others then they need to be in a place that they can be by themselves- reading a book, drawing,etc
I often times turned on books on tape so they could listen to a story while working on something.
games, we use to play lots of games. Jump ropes. Have contests- who can jump the highest, the furthest, who can touch their elbow with their tongue? etc
Have them do chores- clear the table, wash and put away dishes, sweep the floor. Be sure they are part of the daily work.
reflect on when you are having issues and change it up.
I probably spend half the day with them each day on these types of activities. Cooking lessons, different art stuff, journaling, school type stuff. But it seems they can't have free play for five minutes without resorting to screaming (not just loud, but top of the longs screaming in the house), and pushing each other, pretending to hit each other, etc which always ends up in someone getting to rough it turning into a real fight, or someone getting hurt. I just don't see that I should have to occupy every single minute of their day. So while your suggestions are good, I am looking for some ideas so they can have free time. I honestly feel like a school teacher that is standing with them every single minute keeping them occupied, and I don't get paid nearly enough for that. Not to mention, supplies for crafts and such are getting expensive.
AmyKidsCo 01:12 PM 07-05-2016
Spend more time outside where they can yell, run, and have more space to spread out so they're not all over each other.
And ITA with stop saying it - let them work out their own issues and only step in if they ask or if it looks like someone's going to get hurt.
Annalee 01:13 PM 07-05-2016
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
I probably spend half the day with them each day on these types of activities. Cooking lessons, different art stuff, journaling, school type stuff. But it seems they can't have free play for five minutes without resorting to screaming (not just loud, but top of the longs screaming in the house), and pushing each other, pretending to hit each other, etc which always ends up in someone getting to rough it turning into a real fight, or someone getting hurt. I just don't see that I should have to occupy every single minute of their day. So while your suggestions are good, I am looking for some ideas so they can have free time. I honestly feel like a school teacher that is standing with them every single minute keeping them occupied, and I don't get paid nearly enough for that. Not to mention, supplies for crafts and such are getting expensive.
Do not even attempt to occupy their entire day! Some, if not most of this, is just simply school-age behavior. With my own sons, I have learned to "pick my battles"......if I got on them for every little thing they did, I would spend my entire day on them.....instead, I let several things pass....that "pretending to hit" is school-age behavior....I see it every day in my own kids....I do not have school-age daycare kids...My sons know if I have to intervene in their "squabbles" they will NOT like the outcome!
I have a look/stare and they know
By not picking every battle, they know when I REALLY mean business!
Thriftylady 01:47 PM 07-05-2016
The problem is the yelling is not squabbles. They just all want to be louder than the other and I simply can't deal with it. The squabbles come with play fighting, pushing each other, shoving each other, pretend hitting, etc that WILL get someone hurt, and then turn into real fights. I have told them FIVE times in the last 30 minutes to keep hands to themselves. In fact, I just took away this weeks field trip over it. After the third time I warned them, then I had one grabbing on the another's feet trying to trip them while they were walking! Obviously I can't ignore that behavior. I am not buying that this is "typical" school aged behavior. I would have gotten my butt busted for acting like this! I do plan to talk to all parents tonight and have them speak with their children.
Annalee 01:55 PM 07-05-2016
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
The problem is the yelling is not squabbles. They just all want to be louder than the other and I simply can't deal with it. The squabbles come with play fighting, pushing each other, shoving each other, pretend hitting, etc that WILL get someone hurt, and then turn into real fights. I have told them FIVE times in the last 30 minutes to keep hands to themselves. In fact, I just took away this weeks field trip over it. After the third time I warned them, then I had one grabbing on the another's feet trying to trip them while they were walking! Obviously I can't ignore that behavior. I am not buying that this is "typical" school aged behavior. I would have gotten my butt busted for acting like this! I do plan to talk to all parents tonight and have them speak with their children.
I don't provide care for school-age for the reasons you mention but I hear your same issues spoken of by most school-based programs....not the hurting each other but the loud/poking/etc.....My sons "swap licks" or are always jabbing with each other and their cousins.....so I am used to that.....My brothers and I used to "swap licks"
and I had a few "whippins", too....my brothers had more than a few
Good luck.....
Thriftylady 02:05 PM 07-05-2016