Practical Parenting Ideas

Get the straight story

"He hit me!" "I did not!" "She threw my Power Ranger in the tree!" "I did not!" What do you do when two kids appeal to you as umpire, each with a different version of what happened? Author and lecturer Barbara Coloroso offers a creative suggestion. In her great book Kids Are Worth It! (Avon Books), Coloroso says she hands one child a notepad and the other a pencil and asks both to come up with a version of the story they can both agree on. "Being able to see the other person’s point of view is one of the most useful skills in resolving conflict," writes Coloroso. Giving the two kids the assignment of finding a common story that satisfies them both invites them to at least try to see the situation with the other person’s eyes–which is the beginning of wisdom. Keep a notepad and single pencil handy.

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