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Elysian Charter School
Weekly Newsletter
A Positively Different Public School
January 22, 2018 Vol. 13 Issue 19
The school newsletter is sent out on Mondays. When there is a holiday, the newsletter is sent the following day.
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Harry's Corner Three Common Parenting Traps And tips for avoiding them
Matthew H. Rouse, PhD, MSW
Parenting. Even though we’ve been doing it for millennia, it’s still a work in progress. Despite generations of passed-down knowledge and experience, it seems like it always comes down to a situation where it’s after bedtime, you’re sleep-deprived and running on leftover mac and cheese, and you will do just about anything to get your kid into the bath. This is how any well-meaning parent can fall into certain parenting “traps.” Without some kind of course correction, these can become patterns that are harder and harder to break. Think of it like a quicksand—you get sucked in bit by bit until you’re stuck. But, armed with some good information going in, a parent will be less likely to be tempted by the initial allure of the trap, and more likely to recognize it as it’s happening. Here are some of the most common parenting traps, adapted from the Positive Parenting Program’s list of common parenting mistakes: 1. The Escalation Trap The escalation trap can happen in two different ways. The first is when the child escalates. Perhaps your child wants something—a candy bar or to play a video game. You tell him, “No, it’s too close to dinner,” or “You’ve already used up your screen time for today.” The child responds with whining, begging or even a tantrum, and he keeps it up until you’re worn down and you eventually give in, thinking to yourself that you’ll do anything to stop the whining. What your child has learned is that the way he gets the candy or the game time is by getting louder, having a bigger tantrum, whining more, crying more. This learning increases the chances that next time he encounters a “no” and is frustrated, he will likely try that same strategy again. The escalation trap also happens in the other direction. Sometimes it’s a child teaching a parent that she will only respond after the parent escalates. The classic example is where you say, “Okay, kids, it’s time to wash up for dinner.” They’re watching TV, and they do nothing. So a few minutes later you come back and you say, a little louder, “I said it’s time to come in for dinner!” Maybe they say, “Okay in a few minutes,” but a few minutes later they’re still not at the dinner table. The third time you are visibly angry, and you order them into dinner, probably shouting, and that’s when they finally come in. They know that they don’t really have to move until you raise your voice. The problem here is that you’re learning that the only way to get them to do what you want them to do is to yell. And they’re learning that the first time you say something it doesn’t really count. Mom or Dad don’t really mean it unless they’re shouting. What to do Avoiding escalation requires sticking to your guns and remaining calm while doing so. If you said no to a child’s request, your goal is to ignore behavior directed at getting you to change your mind. It’s not easy, but it’s an investment in reducing that behavior in the future. When the child stops acting up and goes back to playing quietly or speaking in a calm tone of voice, be ready with positive reinforcement. “I like the way you calmed down,” or “It’s so nice when you speak to me this way.” The same is true if you’re making a request and your child is ignoring you. You can repeat your request once, but without escalating, and let her know that a consequence will follow if you don’t get results. “I said it’s time for dinner; if you don’t come wash up, you’re going to lose 10 minutes of screen time after dinner.” And when she does comply, be ready with the praise, even if you had to ask twice. 2. The ‘It’s Just a Phase’ Trap Another trap that parents fall into is when you notice behavior that’s problematic, you hope (naturally) that it will go away on its own, and so you don’t respond. You think, “It’s just a phase,” minimizing the behavior so you won’t have to address it. For instance, maybe your toddler is being aggressive on play dates. You think, “Surely this is just some kind of passing developmental thing-—this is what kids do.” It very well may be that you child will eventually stop engaging in problematic behavior—hitting or pushing or grabbing. However, the way you and others respond to it may be the key to how quickly it goes away. If children test the limits of those around them, and no one intervenes, they learn that this kind of behavior is acceptable, or even that it gets them attention (however negative). That kind of learning is very important in young children, and it gets harder to undo as kids get older. What to do All toddlers are going to hit and bite and take toys away—they’re exploring these as new behaviors. But it’s important that you respond in a way that lets them know what’s off limits—think of the behavior as an experiment by the child and you’re providing the result to the toddler’s experiment. Setting limits, coupled with praise as often as possible when the child doesn’t engage in the problematic behavior, can help you manage these behaviors as they pop up. 3. The ‘You Do This on Purpose’ Trap This is interpreting a child’s behavior as something done intentionally to annoy or otherwise tax you, the parent. For instance, you tell your child it’s time to stop playing and get ready to leave to go to Grandma’s house. When you come back 10 minutes later, he’s still playing. You hear yourself say, “I told you to get ready to go to Grandma’s house, and you knew that this was important to me and you didn’t do it. And you are doing this deliberately to annoy me. ” The danger here is that if you think a child is doing something intentionally to bother you or hurt you, you’re going to respond a lot differently than if you see it as a behavior that isn’t about you. Maybe the child is having difficulty emotionally, or doesn’t have well-developed coping strategies to conquer anxiety he has about being away from home. Or, most likely, he just made a mistake. There are dozens of possible reasons for why the behavior is occuring, the least likely of which is that it is intentionally done to bother you. If you think the behavior is intended to push your buttons, you’re more likely respond with negative emotion, rather than responding in a calm way and thinking about how to discourage the behavior in the future or support your child through difficult tasks. It will also be harder to praise the behaviors you do want to see if you’re angry at your child. What to do First of all, take the word “manipulative,” in reference to your kids, out of your vocabulary.
There’s nothing positive that will come from thinking of your children as the masterminds and yourself as the victim. When your kids are acting out, try to remember that they haven’t developed adult self-control. Throwing a tantrum is usually less calculated than it is desperate. You want to muster as much insight as you can into how the behavior may have developed and what function the behavior serves for the child. This will be a way to maintain a cool head and then plan how you’d like to respond in an effective way.
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Elysian20 Updates
Let’s Celebrate 20 Years of Elysian!!
Join the Elysian20 Homecoming committee on Monday January 29 6pm at Elysian to get information, provide input and volunteer!!!
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This Week's Basketball Practices
Grade 3: Tuesdays: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Grade 4: Green Team: Wednesdays: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Grade 4: White Team: Fridays: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Grade 5: Fridays: 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Grade 6: Mondays: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Including Intramural Game)
Grade 7: Thursdays: 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Grade 8: Thursdays: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Girls 6-8: Wednesdays: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Note:
Children waiting for a practice to begin will be able to attend Aftercare at no cost. Any child attending Aftercare must start right at the end of the school day and may not leave the school building and then return.
***Games will be listed in the calendar below***
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Come get your workout in with Fit Foundry and fellow Elysian Charter School supporters. This event is open to all adults, so feel free to bring a friend (or two)! To register and make your $20 donation via PayPal or the credit card of your choice, go to: http://www.ecsnj.org/fitness-fundraiser/
Fit Foundry offers large group team training, small group personalized training, 1-on-1 private training and specialty yoga, in a unique modern industrial setting. All just two blocks away from Elysian.
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| Elysian Collects Box Tops and LABELS for Education Look for the container near Deb's desk in the office! Thank you!
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Lost and Found
We have many items (jackets, sweatshirts/hoodies, gloves, hats, etc) that need to find their way back home. Please come and take a look in the Main Office.
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As per state law, we no longer publish the exact location of trips for security reasons.
Please read the calendar weekly, as changes are updated regularly. JANUARY CALENDAR Please see above under "This Week's Basketball Practices" for grades, dates and times of practices. Monday, January 22 - Game - Connors Calabro vs. Elysian Charter 5 , 6:45 PM - Wallace
- Board Meeting, 7:00 PM is rescheduled for Monday, February 5, 7:00 PM
Wednesday, January 24 - 8th Grade Trip
- 5th Grade Trip
- Friends of Elysian Winter Workout Social, 8:00 PM - Fit Foundry
Thursday, January 25 - Game - Elysian Charter Green 8 vs. Stevens Co-op Red, 6:15 PM - Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter White 7 vs. Stevens Co-op White, 7:15 PM - Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter 6 vs. Hoboken Charter White 6, 7:45 PM - Wallace
Saturday, January 27 - Game - Elysian Charter Green 3 vs. Hoboken PAL 3, 1:30 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 3 vs. Wallace Grey 3, 2:20 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter Girls vs. Stevens Co-op White, 3:00 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 4 vs. Hoboken PAL 4, 3:10 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 4 vs. Wallace Grey 4, 4:00 PM, Wallace
Tuesday, January 30 - Game - Elysian Charter Green 8 vs. Hoboken Middle School Knicks, 6:15 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter White 7 vs. Hoboken Middle School Nets, 7:15 PM, Multi
Thursday, February 1 - Game - Elysian Charter 5 vs.Stevens Red 5, 6:45 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 8 vs. Hudson, 6:15 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter White 7 vs. Mustard Seed, 7:15 PM, Multi
Friday, February 2 - Game - Grade 5 vs. Wallace Grey 5, 7:45 PM, Wallace
Saturday, February 3 - Game - Elysian Charter Girls vs Hoboken Middle School White. 1:00 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter White 4 vs. Hoboken Charter Red 4, 5:40 PM, Wallace
- Game - Connors Calabro 3 vs. Elysian Charter White 3, 6:30 PM, Wallace
- Game - All Saints 3 vs. Elysian Charter Green 3, 7:20 PM, Wallace
- Game - All Saints 4 vs. Elysian Charter Green 4, 8:10 PM, Wallace
Monday, February 5 - Board Meeting, 7:00 PM (rescheduled from January 22)
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 8 vs. Stevens Co-op White, 6:15 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter White 7 vs. Stevens Co-op Red, 7:15 PM, Multi
Wednesday, February 7 - 1/2 day, 12:30 PM dismissal, Aftercare available
Thursday, February 8 - Game - Elysian Charter 6 vs. Hudson 6, 7:45 PM, Wallace
Friday, February 9 - Game - Elysian Charter 5 vs. Stevens Purple 5, 6:45 PM, Wallace
Saturday, February 10 - Game - Elysian Charter Girls vs. Hoboken Middle School Red, 3:00 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 4 vs. Hoboken Charter Red 4, 2:20 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 4 vs. Hoboken Charter White 4, 3:10 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 3 vs. HOLA 3, 4:50 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 3 vs. Wallace Black 3, 5:40 PM, Wallace
Monday, February 12 - Game - Elysian Charter 6 vs. Stevens 6, 7:45 PM, Wallace
Wednesday, February 14 - Game - Elysian Charter Green 8 vs. Hoboken Middle School Nets, 6:45 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 7 vs. HOLA, 7:45 PM, Wallace
Thursday, February 15 - Game - Elysian Charter 6 vs. Mustard Seed 6, 7:45 PM, Wallace
Friday, February 16 - Report Cards distributed at dismissal. Cards not picked up will be mailed home.
Monday, February 19 - Friday, February 23 - February Break - Elysian closed
Saturday, February 24 - Game - Elysian Charter Girls vs. Hoboken Charter School, 1:00 PM, Multi
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 4 vs. Hoboken Charter White 4, 4:50 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 4 vs. Wallace Black 4, 6:30 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter Green 3 vs. Wallace Black 3, 7:20 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 3 vs. Hoboken PAL 3, 8:10 PM, Wallace
Monday, February 26 - Game - Elysian Charter Green 7 vs. Hoboken Middle School Bulls, 6:15 PM, Multi
- Game - All Saints vs. Elysian Charter White 8, 7:15 PM, Multi
Wednesday, February 28 - Game - Elysian Charter Green 7 vs. Mustard Seed, 6:45 PM, Wallace
- Game - Elysian Charter White 8 vs. Hoboken Middle School Bulls, 7:45 PM, Wallace
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1460 Garden Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Harry Laub, Ph.D., Director
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harry.laub@ecsnj.org
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Phone:201.876.0102
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Fax:201.876.9576
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