As promised last week, today I'm sharing a few great conflict resolution/problem solving strategies for kids. ASWATA - This stands for ask the person to stop, walk away, talk to an adult. This strategy is one to teach kids to use when someone is bot…  | alisakaczorowski March 27 | As promised last week, today I'm sharing a few great conflict resolution/problem solving strategies for kids. - ASWATA - This stands for ask the person to stop, walk away, talk to an adult. This strategy is one to teach kids to use when someone is bothering them or they are dealing with a minor annoyance. First, we politely ask the person to stop doing whatever it is they are doing. If they don't stop, we walk away. If they continue or follow us, that's when we talk to an adult. This is a simple strategy that can be used to solve all sorts of minor conflicts between kids in the classroom or at home and puts the focus on the child solving the problem, not the adult.
- "I feel..." Statements - I feel statements are a critical component of the conflict resolution process. Why? Because rather than pointing the finger at the other person (which often leads to more anger and hostility), they put the focus on how that person's actions made you feel. For example, saying "You never listen to me" is just an invitation to escalate a conflict. The other person will go on the defensive, and before you know it, the conflict has grown beyond its initial problem. However, saying "I feel frustrated and hurt when it seems like you aren't listening to me" is not nearly as defense-inducing and potentially hurtful. Additionally, it's hard for the other person to argue how you feel and these statements open the possibility of an honest conversation versus an anger-filled fight.
- Rock, Paper, Scissors - As a teacher or parent, you probably already know that a large percentage of the conflicts our kids encounter are minor and don't require extensive problem solving. In fact, some of them are so minor that a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors can get the problem solved and all parties moving on with life quickly. It's a simple but effective strategy for things like who gets the front seat of the car or the line leader position. Don't waste a bunch of time on these conflicts AND put the ball in the kid's court! This is the perfect time for them to practice their problem solving skills!
These are just a few of the hundreds of problem solving strategies we can teach our kids, but they have served me well as a teacher and a mom! What are some of your go-to problem solving strategies? | | | |  | You can also reply to this email to leave a comment. | | | | |
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