Babies are not little adults who simply lack language. In fact, when babies are in distress, they have no clear idea about what they are feeling except that something unfamiliar is occurring and it is difficult. When mom looks at that baby in distress, picks her up and tries a few things to figure out the cause of the distress, you are communicating to baby, "I am here with you, and we will figure this out together." This pattern is repeated over and over again, and your baby learns that "human emotions are natural, acceptable and shareable" (Hoffman et al., 2017).
Our response to our children is deeply rooted in our ability to answer the following: Is my child doing something to me or does my child need something from me?
May you remember to regulate yourself first.
May you remember to name it to tame it.
May you remember to use as few words as possible.
May you remember that the child in front of you has not mastered
the art and skill of self-regulation.
May you remember that at times, a child would rather pay for the consequences of misbehavior than risk the cost of revealing his true emotional needs and coming up short.
We are proud to serve the following counties, Circuit 7, Circuit 8, Circuit 14, and Circuit 18! Heads up, this summer, we are bringing free parenting workshop to the public library.
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