Resolving Conflicts Calmly

Conflicts between parents and children can often be frustrating, both for them and for us.  Sumitha Bhandarkar at parenting blog A Fine Parent reminds us that when we're angry, we can rarely think straight, and yelling just leads to more yelling, instead of problem solving.  With that in mind, it's good to have a "go-to" list of actions we can take; doing this will significantly increase our chances of success in resolving the situation (don't just take my word for it; researchers at Harvard University also found this to be true).

Sumitha outlines eight things that have worked for her in dealing with her daughter.  Sumitha's daughter is younger than your child who attends LIS, but you can apply many of the same basic ideas to conflicts with older children.  Some of her suggestions include:

• Using humor to defuse the situation
• Setting a time limit to end hostilities
• Giving yourself a "time out" to cool off before dealing with the issue any further
• Turning the problem into a fictional story

Read the rest of her suggestions (along with a rationale for each one) at A Fine Parent.  As always, use your own judgment to determine which solutions will work best for your children; these just might be some additional tools for your parenting toolbox.