My son had a temper tantrum this week. A kicking, screaming tantrum, the likes of which I haven't seen in more than a year and the likes of which is not becoming in any kid, much less a kindergartner. I took him to his room and as part of his time out, or recovery time, or whatever you want to call it, I had him work on some poems about the way he was feeling. My object wasn't to instill poetry as punishment (egads, I hope that won't be a side effect!) but to get him to focus on words and feelings and communicating those feelings in a way that did NOT involve kicking and screaming.
It was a fascinating process. He dictated three poems and they got better and more eloquent as he regained control. He gave them titles after they were finished. Here's the first one:
YOU ARE NOT NICE
I hate you
I don't like you
I do not like you at all
Because you were not nice to me.
Here's the last one:
When I Am Angry
When I am angry, I feel mean
I feel sort of like a volcano inside
Or a big, bubbly mud pit
But that's not all
I feel like I want mommy.
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2 comments:
Wow. Look at the distance traveled, deeper in, between poem one and poem three.
Awesome strategy!!! I LOVE that last one! So true!
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