Letter from the Director!
Kids need boundaries and limits to feel safe.
Being calm and firm while enforcing boundaries is a skill set that must be built and exercised over time. Parental emotions can run high when children behave in an unsafe or undesirable manner.
Here are a few tips to help you manage setting limits:
Always stay one step ahead and have a plan.
Make sure you are direct and clear with your expectations.
Ensure your tone of voice is warm yet firm.
Know that your child will not always comply, and that’s okay, they are learning.
Make sure your expectations are appropriate for the child’s age and development.
The key is to be consistent. Try a few of these strategies and see if they are the right fit for you and your child. Don’t be discouraged if your child pushes the limits at first. Stay confident in your rule setting, and most of all, be understanding when your child does try going beyond boundaries, because this is a very crucial learning time for them and for you. They are just starting to know what you and the world around them expects from them, and you are just starting to know your child and how they react to new limitations.
Please feel free to reach out to any of our teachers, our Family Service Coordinator, or myself for more tips and strategies that we use in your child’s classroom as well.
Jennifer Perdue
Director
Ivy Academy West/Ivy Academy Downtown
