Preschool Problems: Hit ‘em back or tell the teacher?
I am very capable of being an understanding and neutral person. I try to understand both sides of a story before making a decision. However, I am a parent now and sometimes I find myself a bit flustered when it comes to hard decisions about my children. Like how they should respond if someone hits them. I come from the era of “If they hit you, hit them back.” But I do remember my parents saying, “Hit them back, then tell the teacher.” What? It’s a full-blown fight at that point! This is not speaking toward the topic of bullying, but more so about self-defense.
What do you think parents should tell their kids about fighting?
How do you deal?
preschool problems
Such an important discussion point! So many different parenting styles these days. In our house we emphasize using our words to stick up for ourselves. As far as the preschool crowd, when someone hits my almost 3 year old he responds, Ouch, Don’t hit! Hitting hurts! and then moves on without involving the teacher.
I love that your family focuses on “using words” rather than “fighting back.” It can be very difficult to parent your children when everyone doesn’t share the same values. Let’s not forget to mention the fact that toddlers, in particular, have a mind of their own and they forget everything you’ve taught them at the most convenient time! I witnessed two kids playing and then it turned into a minor fight. Instead of telling the teacher, they took matters into their own hands until one began to cry. I know they are both taught to tell the teacher/adult when hitting occurs but they didn’t.