Kids kill the messenger
“Thank you for this helpful guidance which I will now graciously incorporate”, said no kid ever. If you’ve ever been in the position of a grownup trying to impart wisdom to a child, you know how trying it is. So. Very. Trying.
Imparting any wisdom to a child involves saying the same thing over and over again. It’s not that kids want to be uncooperative, it is just how it goes. No one was ever told to “keep your room clean” only once.
The trouble is, invariably at some point, you and your young charge will get sick of this dance and some unpleasantness will ensure, to put it mildly.
Get the message delivered by “not you”
Sometimes, the same message that you’ve repeated umpteen times lands perfectly when someone else says it. It is a most baffling feeling when this happens. You don’t know whether to be happy that little Kennedy is finally getting it or, to be mad that you’re apparently chopped liver… totally ignorable. What about all those times you’ve said it?!
We all tend to be better behaved with strangers than those we know to love us. Safety and security allow you to let your guard down so the good, the bad, and the ugly can come out. This is perhaps even more true with kids. So random aside, the next time a kid is absolutely no good, terrible, and very bad to you, but an angel to others, take it as a sign of how well you have done to create a safe space for that kid. Onwards.
Don’t hate the player. Don’t even hate the game. Play the game.
This week, we take advantage of the “not you”-ness of digital resources to deliver messages you want kids to get. We point you to 5 resources that deliver meaningful messages with hilarity and cloaked in entertainment. Check them out.
“Don’t read like a robot, read with expression”
This funky tune from Blazer Fresh and Go Noodle is on youtube but strangely enough not on YoutubeKids. But, the message it delivers is worth getting wherever you can get your hands on it.
For any child who is learning to read, you know they start out sounding like the automated voices on phone systems from the 1990s – robotically devoid of expression. But who wants to be told over and over again to do something they are already trying hard to do? Get the kids to listen to jam. You’ll all have a good laugh and you’ll have less work to do reminding kids to read with expression.
“Be Nice” because the Best Tees say so
Ahhh – How many times have you heard a grown-up say, “Be nice” to a kid? How many times have you said it?! As if anyone has ever suddenly been nice by simply being told to be nice.
Well, save your breath. The Best Tees have a hilarious song extolling the virtues of being nice – so that you don’t have to. In truth, it is a very annoying song at first, but when you listen to the lyrics and all the work it is saving you, you begin to love it. And the kids are none the wiser that you are subliminally putting the idea in their heads. Mwah Ha Ha Ha!
“Think like a scientist – Observe, hypothesize, experiment, analyze, report!”
This little diddy comes in handy in more ways than you may think. It is another piece from Blazer Fresh and GoNoodle (Bless those folks). It works for all ages because there is something in it for everyone. And the dance steps are pretty nifty too. In any case, it is awesome to be able to have someone else “not you” reminding kids that they have the power to figure out things for themselves.
“Please don’t pee in the pool” – says Bryant Oden
This is a key public service announcement for the summer months. In fact, now that you know it, you can recommend having it on blast at any pool. Or play it and at least make sure that the kid in your life is never going to be the offender who peed in the pool.
There you have it. You can get these messages across and not have to endure any back talk or flack from the kids. You’re welcome.
