Three is always a tricky number when it comes to kids and their friends. Inevitably, someone feels left out or ganged-up on. Despite the pains I take to try to avoid a group of three at the house, it happens…a lot. So I was thrilled to come across the article, Three Friends and a Meltdown, from the pages of Kidcomplishment.
In it the author gives a brief explanation of why three is such a difficult number for children and includes some great advice on how to manage a group of three when issues arise:
- Keep trying When a three-way playdate goes bad, your first reaction may be, “Never again.” But that robs your child of the chance to develop his group social skills…
- Huddle up Talk to the threesome at the beginning of a playdate. Say something like, “We all want to have a great time, right? How can we make sure everyone has fun?” Allow the children time to respond, and then help them think of ways to include everyone in their play.
- Encourage turn-taking Ask each child to pick a group activity and help the three of them decide what order to play them in…
- Teach assertiveness Compromising is not the same as caving in. Even if your child is the host, she needs to stand up for himself — especially if there are two friends to juggle instead of just one. Yelling, “I hate you!” is not assertive, nor is productive. You can teach your child to state her case calmly…
- Allow time and space for cool-downs When tempers explode, sometimes the best thing to do is to temporarily separate the children.
With a little guidance and support we can help our children navigate the pitfalls of that tricky number, three.
Filed under: Family, Personal Life, Preschool | Tagged: Family, kids, parenting, Preschool
