Archdiocese of Chicago

6 Steps in Helping Children Solve Their Problems

Posted by Ralph Bonaccorsi on Friday, November 11, 2011 3:41 PM

1. Use reflective listening to understand and clarify the child's feelings:
   • You're angry…
   • It seems to me you feel…
2. Explore alternatives through brainstorming:
   • Shall we look at some things we could do about this?
   • If you are interested in getting along better with your teacher, what are some things you could do?
3. Assist the child to choose a solution:
   • Which idea do you think is the best one?
4. Discuss the probable results of the decision:
   • What do you think will happen if you do that?
5. Obtain a comment:
   • What have you decided to do?
   • When are you going to do this?
6. Plan a time for evaluation:
   • How long will you do this?
   • When shall we discuss this again?

Source: Systematic Training for Effective Parenting, Parent's handbook, Don Dinkmeyer & Gary D. McKay

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