How do you deal with conflict? 2022
Teaching Children to resolve Conflict
Teaching children how to deal with conflict, in a respectful manner, is a lifelong skill, they require for any relationship that they might have. Following are some tips to show that helping kids develop conflict resolution skills doesn’t have to be mysterious or complex:
Do not overreact
It is easy to go into panic mode when you see that a child is involved in some form of conflict, but rather take this opportunity to teach the child important life lessons, in a calm, understanding manner. Conflict is to be expected in life and we must learn to deal with it in an appropriate manner.
Communicating their needs
Communication is such an important factor in early childhood development, as learning to communicate is key for children to interact with the persons in their world and to have their needs met. Explain to children how to communicate their needs in a respectful manner, and they will experience positive reactions most of the time.
Responding to emotions
Take the opportunity to enjoy a fun activity with the child. Ask them if they would like to draw pictures or faces which expresses different emotions, or you can even make up a song about all the different emotions. Teach them to respond to people’s emotions in an appropriate way E.g. If someone smiles at you, you can smile back, if someone is sad, you can ask them why or just sit with them for a while etc.
Do not problem solve for them
Problem-solving skills prepare children for difficult encounters that they might face in their future. Children who learn the importance of solving problems from an early age, will be more eager to engage in and solve situations of conflict later in life.
Listen with intent
Listening skills are of the utmost importance as it can help children to navigate through difficult conversations, but more importantly it helps to build on the child’s overall communication skills and helps to build a better understanding of another’s opinions.
Areas of learning are extremely important environments for children, especially in group settings away from home. Here are some tips that teachers can use in the classroom when dealing with conflict:
Don’t avoid conflict
Conflict in the classroom is important, as it teaches students how to listen to others, but more importantly conflict resolution in the classroom could be very helpful. If managed correctly, children will become more aware of different viewpoints, and it can help them to acquire conflict resolution skills.
Be prepared for conflict
Teachers should be equipped with different conflict resolution strategies when conflict arise in the classroom. A fun way for children to engage in conflict resolution, could be to create activities and games that touches on social skills like cooperation, empathy, and self-control.
Acknowledge children’s feelings
As a teacher, you can begin to help children understand different conflict resolution styles, by teaching them to identify what they are feeling. This can be done, by a simple statement acknowledging their anger or sadness, for instance.
