B is having a small tantrum because he doesn't want to stop playing and take a nap. He uses a calm down strategy (song from Daniel Tiger) during his tantrum. He has been practicing this particular strategy during calm moments daily for about a month. It is very important to practice strategies that you want your child to use while they are calm so that they can access them during a tantrum.
Do you have a way that you keep track of everything that is going to happen in your day? Maybe a calendar? Or notes on your phone? Or just a mental list of what is on your agenda? Do you get frustrated if your schedule changes? Children are the same way, but they can't do it for themselves. Here's a simple way, using materials you already have at home, to create a visual schedule for the day. While some children are okay with a verbal reminder of what comes next throughout the day, others need the visual picture so they can look and see how the day is going to progress. Just like other strategies, you will have to demonstrate the schedule so your child learns how to 'read' it. Don't expect this to magically work, it takes some children repetition over several weeks to really get the hang of what the schedule means. But then, wow! Game changer!
What do you do when a book is too long and your child can't attend for the entire story? Or what if there are so many new vocabulary words that your child doesn't understand half of what you are reading? Here's my solution: make up your own story by telling what is happening in the pictures. Pick books that have interesting pictures that show activities that are familiar to your child (like eating, or going to the park, or playing with a pet). See how I do it with a book that is too advanced for my child, but I make it work by changing the story. Reading is about teaching new vocabulary and concepts, but it's also supposed to be a fun exchange between you and your child. P.S. It's also okay if you 'read' 3 pages instead of the entire book. Just try add more pages each time to you read with your child.
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