yeowch

What kids have taught me..

.. about themselves. This is a work in progress so expect updates. Here goes:

1> If they like you, they will hang onto every word you say.
2> If they like you, they won't tell you straight - tho the ones that suck up to you might.
3> Praises are always more constructive than criticisms in any form. They'll remember you by how you made them feel, rather than what you say. So don't give them lectures or you'll just be seen as a boring old fart.
4> Don't ever expect them to act the way you think they will, at least not immediately. They take their own sweet time figuring out how your words fit in with what they know and how they see the world.
5> Saying 'thank you' and 'please' are not in-built mechanisms. If they don't say it, then no big deal- just remind them to:)
6> They love to teach you their stuff. The more you let them take charge, the more they'll listen to what you say when you have to say it.
7> Take words from the mouth of a child seriously. If you laugh at them, you shame them and lose their respect.
8> Once they start asking you about yourself, you're onto a good thing.
9> If a kid does something out of line, never reprimand them before asking them why they did it first. Unless it's really that bad in which case the kid should already be defending himself:)
10> Kids know when you're doing things that actually take their needs into account rather than just serving your own interests. Their intuition can be downright spooky. But they're not that stubborn either, and will see other perspectives so long as they're logical (i'm talking 9-12 year olds here).

posted by "/umin @ 6:02 PM