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‘Cute’ is For Kittens: The Gentle Art of Encouragement

by Roslyn Duffy
July/August 2009
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Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/cute-is-for-kittens-the-gentle-art-of-encouragement/5018886/

�" Situation �"

Scene #1
Amalie’s eyes focus on the wobbling plate of banana pieces she sliced with a small plastic knife. She offers them to Auntie Louise, who says, “Why honey, aren’t you the sweetest thing? You are the most clever child!”

Scene #2
Brianna’s tongue pokes out in concentration, a purple crayon gripped in her fist as she etches its color onto a page of green construction paper. She holds up the finished piece, pocked with holes where the crayon rubbed through the paper. “Look at all that purple,” observes Margo, the preschool aide. “It looks like you worked really hard on that.”

Scene #3
Victor has cut several jagged shapes from a piece of wrapping paper. He rubs a glue stick over a small box and begins to attach his shapes to it. His mother smiles and asks if he is finished. When he nods, they both admire his handwork. ‘Tell me what you have made,” his mom asks. “A rocket ship,” says Victor, joyfully waving the box in a simulated launch.

�" Solution �"

Three Themes

These adults obviously care about these children, but one of them responded with praise while the other two offered encouragement. Can you tell the difference? In our book, Positive Discipline ...

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