Karen Hopper Coaching and Mediation Services

Stop spending so much personal time on IEPs Are you: 🍎 A General Education Teacher?📚 A Special Education Teacher?🤝 A Parap

Is your classroom ready for the new school year? If you haven’t borrowed OCALI’s Curriculum Kits, you are missing out! This free resource is available to anyone in Ohio with a Lending Library account. Whether you’re looking for specific subjects or topics, grades or age spans, there is a curriculum kit for you! https://buff.ly/44bqVNi

School is starting soon! If you are new to special education, the PEAL Center website offers many resources to help you navigate the world of special education in English and Spanish.

https://www.pealcenter.org

The hitting, the kicking, the screaming, the screeching.
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Your toddler's brain is still under construction 🧠🚧🏗️ Especially the areas that help with emotional regulation, rational thinking, impulse control (hello hitting 👋) and language. So:
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1️⃣ We can't expect them to express and manage their emotions like an adult.
2️⃣ We have the power to TEACH them - over time, with patience and constant repetition - new ways to express and manage emotions.
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How do we respond to a physical display like hitting, kicking or biting?
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Here’s a solid game plan, and one that shows your toddler that it is NOT okay to hit, while also supporting their emotional growth:
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IN A CALM, CONFIDENT TONE:
1️⃣ “You're feeling mad right now”⁠
✨SEE THEM✨⁠
2️⃣ "It's okay to feel mad"⁠
✨OK the Feeling✨⁠
3️⃣ "It's not okay to hurt someone"⁠
✨BOUNDARY✨⁠
4️⃣ "I'm going to hold your hands now to keep you/me safe"⁠
- OR⁠ -⁠
"I'm going to move baby sister/myself now to keep her/me safe"⁠
✨ACT ON BOUNDARY✨⁠
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What if my 15-month-old is hitting and just thinks it's funny? What if my 4-year-old is hitting his sister HARD, on purpose? 🧐⁠
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Same calm script, all hitting scenarios.⁠
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Why? When you meet physical displays with a big "NO!!!! GET IN YOUR ROOM" or any other type of BIG reaction, we're actually accidentally giving attention to the undesired behavior. It sounds crazy, but your toddler brain craves attention THAT much, that yes, he will unknowingly repeat bad behavior, just to get that dose of attention.🤯⁠
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✨Later, in a calm, unrelated moment, TEACH✨
"Earlier, I could see you were really mad. It's okay to be mad, it's not okay to hit someone. What could we do instead of hit? Ohhhh yes, tell her you were still playing with that toy! Use your angry chalk, yes!”
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So stay cool, stay calm, stay consistent. You got this. 💯

✨Struggling with tantrums, power struggles and how to discipline in a way that works AND protects our child's self esteem? Hitting, new baby, sleep, picky eating? Our course, Winning the Toddler Stage, is here to help! For people with kids aged 1-6. Link in bio✨

❤️💜💚💙🧡💛

Perception checking is a tool to verify your understanding of someone’s words or behaviors. The three steps of a perception check are:

1) Describe the person’s behavior using non-judgmental terms
2) Offer two possible interpretations
3) Request feedback from the person to see if you have perceived it correctly.

For example, “When I tried to talk to you yesterday, you said you didn’t have time right now.” (Describe without judgment) “I wasn’t sure if you didn’t have time right then, or if you needed to prepare for a conversation with me.” (Offer two interpretations) “What happened?” (Request feedback)

Perception checking is a great way to show your desire to understand and sets the tone for positive communication.