"Listen, Limit, Listen"

[Elizabeth]

The first part of a three step process to help children through a difficult behavioral moment is to Listen to them. A caregiver must get down on a child’s level and ask them to explain what is happening and why they are behaving the way they are in response. Then, if a child continues to behave unreasonably, you need to set limits that prevent the behavior from continuing like taking him aside to talk so they stop yelling at another child or preventing him from hurting someone in frustration. After you set those limits of what he may not do and what he can do instead to calm down, you should listen again, seeking to talk about what happened and resolve the feelings of pent up frustrations and tension.
For me, the toughest step is helping the child resolve the situation when I listen if I didn’t see what happened and two children are giving conflicting accounts.