It seems like this time of year the tattle bug is out in full force. With 120 some days together they start to get frustrated with the small things that bug them about their classmates. I sat my tattle kids down last week and we had a very straight forward conversation about what tattling does to the person who is being tattled on and the person who is tattling. We discussed how when you tattle on someone they often hear you tattling. Then I asked if they think the person is more or less likely to be willing to solve the problem calmly. Then we discussed how I listen to tattling at recess and after school and would be more than happy to discuss it then (Love and Logic idea). We decided as a group that we would do our best to solve them problem calmly on our own or let it go and solve it at another time. We of course discussed appropriate times to let the teacher know; when someone is in danger or getting hurt. We will see how it goes.
What is your tattling remedy?
I feel like I must say it a hundred times a day, "Your job is to worry about you. Don't worry about your neighbor - let me take that on for you."
ReplyDeleteWhen I have a student running up to me with complaints like "[So-and-so] is sitting in my spot" or "he isn't sitting in his seat" or "she took my [insert random item here]", I'll often respond with "Huh. That sounds frustrating. What do you think you will do to solve your problem?" Students whose teachers are using Love & Logic will often walk away at that point without a response, and take care of it themselves. Students who aren't used to having their problems handed back to them often look at me funny, and I have to move into the "Would you like to hear what some other kids have tried?" I have become a huge fan of leaving kids to solve their own problems.