Re: [unschoolingbasics] Unschooling and Forcing Kids to do Things They Clearl...
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Tough.
Perhaps you could purposely find other things to do during midday, like Pam
suggested. I don't really like sunscreen that much, seems odd to put a bunch
of chemicals on oneself to protect us from something natural, LOL, and I
prefer to go out later in the day so we don't need to use it.
You've had some great suggestions and I hope something works.
When I've been in a no-win situation and it is a safety issue, I gently draw
a line. In my home it might go like this. "Pool time! let's all get on our
sunscreen!" "I don't want sunscreen!!" "It's not safe to be in the pool
without it. We can play in the pool with sunscreen or we can do
XXXXXX(something good not in the sun)". If they continue to be upset, I validate it and
repeat the choices. Then maybe, "it sounds like you don't want to put on
sunscreen today, maybe we should play princess instead, I'll get the tiaras!."
With my kids, giving them a good alternative often freed them up from adding
resistance on top of "don't want to". They were simply able to choose. And
I had to be willing to cheerfully do either.
I know it is not simple, especially with conflicting needs!
Can you sit inside and play with her and be able to watch the others? Or
create some sort of shady tent where you two could have a tea party or
something?
Leslie in SC, who is glad her children are finally past the sunscreen issue
:)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Perhaps you could purposely find other things to do during midday, like Pam
suggested. I don't really like sunscreen that much, seems odd to put a bunch
of chemicals on oneself to protect us from something natural, LOL, and I
prefer to go out later in the day so we don't need to use it.
You've had some great suggestions and I hope something works.
When I've been in a no-win situation and it is a safety issue, I gently draw
a line. In my home it might go like this. "Pool time! let's all get on our
sunscreen!" "I don't want sunscreen!!" "It's not safe to be in the pool
without it. We can play in the pool with sunscreen or we can do
XXXXXX(something good not in the sun)". If they continue to be upset, I validate it and
repeat the choices. Then maybe, "it sounds like you don't want to put on
sunscreen today, maybe we should play princess instead, I'll get the tiaras!."
With my kids, giving them a good alternative often freed them up from adding
resistance on top of "don't want to". They were simply able to choose. And
I had to be willing to cheerfully do either.
I know it is not simple, especially with conflicting needs!
Can you sit inside and play with her and be able to watch the others? Or
create some sort of shady tent where you two could have a tea party or
something?
Leslie in SC, who is glad her children are finally past the sunscreen issue
:)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]