When one child knocks down another's block tower and the upset one screams for you, resist taking sides. Instead, acknowledge both kids' feelings: jealousy for the one who knocked it over, upset for the one whose tower fell. Give them a cooling-off period, then help them solve it together.
So what do you do when your children are playing blocks and one knocks the other's tower over and then you hear the screech, 'Mummy, he knocked it over!' Surely you should punish him. My response might surprise you, but my years of experience shows that this works. The child who knocked the tower over has got really strong feelings. Address those feelings first and then find a solution. So here's what I'd say: 'Oh no, Max, I think you felt so jealous of your sister that you decided to push her tower down. Sarah, you feel really upset because you were building a lovely tower and Max knocked it over. Wait till they've cooled down a little and see if you can help them come to a solution.' If you immediately take sides, they never work things out themselves. Do you like this approach and want to learn more about parenting this way? If so, drop a 'yes' and I'll tell you more. Just drop a yes below.
