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Four-year-old Harrison and his friend Tyler are playing in Harrison’s bedroom. The boys are laughing and having fun together when Harrison’s mom sneaks by the bedroom to see what they are doing.

Of all of the negative behaviors that a child could have, aggression seems to be the one that upsets adults the most. When a child is aggressive—either at home or in the classroom—parents and teachers have to stay nearby, predicting the next event that is going to set the child off, in order to prevent the child from hurting others in his vicinity.

So often, adults make the mistake of thinking that play is a waste of time for kids. They encourage their children to spend their time learning, instead of wasting time playing and having fun.

The game that I suggested for helping to teach these skills can be very fun and very effective in teaching kids to listen. But often times when I talk with parents andchild care providers about using this game, adults are concerned about children learning to listen to anything that anyone tells them to do.

One of the biggest complaints I get from parents is, “He just won’t listen to me! ”Adults really want kids to listen to them and comply with their demands instantly, because that’s just the way the world works, right? Wrong!

In last week’s blog, I revealed a shocking study that noted the impact that income level has on a child’s development of language skills.

A few years ago, as I was prepping to teach a class to child care providers, I came across an alarming statistic about the language skills of low income children compared to their middle class and higher income counterparts.

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of common parental phrases that have caused me some anguish. I dislike them for their lack of effectiveness in teaching the child a lesson (the true reason they’re being used in the first place) and their effectiveness in making the child feel as if having an opinion and making mistakes are unacceptable.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Zippity Zoo Days. As a previous attendee of this event—and an adult with a basic sense of what goes on at children’s events—I was prepared for an afternoon of animals, bouncy houses, music and face painting mixed with sunscreen and sweat. I knew that this was going to be more than a typical visit to the zoo and I was prepared for this change.