Pam Hartley

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>From: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 2932
>Date: Sun, Jan 26, 2003, 9:34 AM
>

> I'd really like some feedback on a situation with my son. Satori, who just
> turned three last Sunday, has acquired the lovely habit of hitting me and
> telling me to "Shut up".

Can you remember some examples of what led up to this? Because that might be
what I'd suggest changing -- if he is feeling powerless then finding ways to
empower him (other than violence) can help him learn other ways to get what
he wants.

My younger daughter (now 5) went through a phase, I'm thinking it was about
a year ago, maybe a little less, of hitting her older sister. Mikey
(younger) wasn't much of a talker and Brit (older) can argue the birds out
of the trees and always has been able to ;). So, when there was a dispute
between them, Brit would talk (and talk and talk) and Mikey, increasingly
powerless, would finally haul off and punch her.

I used Sandra's trick of telling Mikey that if she wanted to hit Brit, to
first come to me and see if I had any other ideas, and that and just general
maturity and learning to speak up for herself finally solved the problem.

Pam