How to teach your child who's boss. (Warning: It may not be who you think.)

by Babs Hadjusiewicz June 11, 2009

There's the web...but where's the spider?

It's THINKing Thursday already. Time to THINK again. Good thing we only do this THINKing stuff once a week!!! So, what if one of those spiders we saw on Monday's post...well, what if that spider could talk? I did some THINKing one day on that very question. And here's one result from all that THINKing: "If the Spider Could Talk" [caption id="attachment_690" align="alignright" width="183" caption=""If the Spider Could Talk" by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz (from Reading Realm's Poetic Play products)"]

"If the Spider Could Talk" by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz (from Reading Realm's Poetic Play products)

[/caption] You know, your young or older child will enjoy this exercise in THINK-THINK-THINKing. This kind of THINKing is one of the tools your child calls upon when asked to write. Yes! Whether writing a piece of fiction or non-fiction, your child must begin to THINK of all the many angles from which to view the chosen topic. And then choose one to write! WOW! Ready to do a bit of THINK-THINK-THINKing aloud practice with your child? Yes, it's called thinking aloud. And this thinking aloud activity is not only fun; it's valuable practice for your child. Okay. Let's follow the model of my "If the Spider Could Talk" poem. Here we go! [caption id="attachment_697" align="alignleft" width="187" caption="What might a ceiling have to say...eh?"]

[/caption] Think about this: What if a ceiling could talk? Would it be saying, "Hey! You down there! Can't you be a little quieter. I'm not one of those acoustical types, you

Poetic Play's "Spider" item (back). Available at http://ilikeme.com/ReadingRealmOrderForm.htm

know. Quiet down! Or might that ceiling be begging to have people stop painting it? WOW! What other words might a ceiling want to say...IF it could talk? Or what if a chair could talk? Might your chair want to say, "Take it easy! That bottom of yours is awfully wiggly today. Could you just sit still! Goodness sakes! You're liable to break me into pieces! Then we'd both be sprawled on the floor!" Okay, how about one more what if to help you and your child get going in this kind of creative THINKing mode. What if...what if...what if our planet Earth had nothing but peaceful people? See...there's a powerful thought for your THINKing child of any age. And for you? What would all those peaceful people have to talk about? Makes me think of some poems I've penned about peaceful people. This one works with kids of all ages, especially if you add a

little attitude and rap it: [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="173" caption="Peaceful Me: Poems and Activities to Help Children Resolve Conflicts Peacefully Copyright © 2002 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz"][/caption] Who's the Boss? Who’s the boss of my tongue and my hands and my feet? Who's the boss? Who decides how they’ll act when we meet? I’m the boss of my tongue and my hands and my feet. I’m the boss! I decide how they’ll act when we meet! Copyright © 1999 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz from Peaceful Me by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz Your child will enjoy saying and dramatizing this poem with you. Try changing the pronoun in the first stanza from my to your as you ask each other the question. For your child up to age 10 or 12, talk about why someone is the only boss of their own tongue or hands or feet. And what happens if the "boss" isn't supervising properly? [caption id="attachment_704" align="alignright" width="119" caption="Peaceful people everywhere!"]

[/caption] On another day, invite your child to take turns with you to act out a kind or not-so-kind way a tongue, hands, or feet might act. Tune in tomorrow for Free-for-All Friday. And do remember you can scroll down on any day's post to access previous posts. Or check out previous week's posts in the "archive" to the right of the posts column. And remember..you can click on the word comments at the bottom of any post to add your own or your child's thoughts and comments. Or to ask questions. Or to provide info, as Dena did on Tuesday to share those wild animals' names. Or... ...just to say hello!

Babs Hadjusiewicz

Author

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