Kids Kitchen Playsets 4U Talks About: Helping Kids Be Good

As I said elsewhere, some people have concerns over buying wooden pots and pans, etc. because they're heavier than plastic and they're afraid their kids will brain one another with them. Also as I said elsewhere, this is an unfounded concern. Kids love wooden pots, pans and kitchen accessories. They play with them appropriately, even the toddlers. Remember kids have been safely playing with wooden toys forever. I'm not a fan of sharp sticks, but other than that "wood is good"!

I ran a daycare for seven years and I never had a child throw a toy. I set the standards and expected the children to follow them. I kept them busy and in a routine. I didn't allow them to become bored and I made sure I stayed in the play area for long periods. If I was giving a bottle to the littlest member, I sat in a big armchair near the kids kitchen playset, if I needed to do a bit of paperwork I sat at my desk which was purposely close by.

Then, went I went upstairs to make lunch, the kids didn't deteriorate into monsters; they remained well-behaved, stayed kind to one another, and maintained cooperative play.

My eyes and ears were always on alert, and I intervened before incidents happened. You can hear and see them coming... you know you can! I signalled the child who was thinking about misbehaving with a non-smiling face and raised eyebrows, a tiny shake of my head or a beckoning finger. A distraction, a quick separation or removal, coupled with the appropriate words worked every time.

But my biggest secret was praise, praise and more praise. I caught my daycare kids doing something right dozens of times a day; it was my main focus. They all wanted to be caught doing something right. Parents would say to me, "How do you get her to do that? She won't do that for me!" I taught many a parent about catching their child doing something right... and how to set up the situation so you CAN catch them.

If you want them to put on their own shoes, you praise every attempt, no matter how small, even if they're just looking at their shoes! You make a game out of it, with an appropriate reward, you praise with a high-pitched, happy, excited tone of voice. "Wow, look at Josh, guys. I think he's trying to put on his shoes. Can you do it, Josh? Can you do it? I bet you can! Go, Josh, go!"

Or maybe, "You know how you love to go high on the swing, Josh, but we have to be careful of the little kids? Well, if you can put on your own shoes, I'll keep the little kids down at the sandbox for ten whole minutes while you swing high. Is that a fun idea? I'll go get the timer, while you keep working on putting your shoes on! Deal? Deal!" A high-five seals the pact.

While you praise with a high-pitched, happy, excited voice, conversely you correct with eye contact, a non-smiling face and a low voice. And always make sure you get down to their level when you need to correct a child's behaviour. Kids hate being corrected when they know what praise sounds like. They will not want to disappoint you, instead they'll quickly try to please you at every opportunity.

If you're a parent, staying close to your kids while they play, and keeping them busy and in a routine is your job! Your job is not sitting on the couch expecting your kids to be good. Play games with them, make time for them, talk to them while you go about your daily chores, get them involved. When you go grocery shopping, give them part of the list and let them help you shop. Older kids can be a huge help and they'll love your high fives when they put things in the basket. Toddlers can help, too. Even if you point out the right cereal and help them drop it into the cart; they'll still feel like they're helping. Watch Supernanny or Nanny 911 on TV! You'll get lots of ideas.