We were making sugar cookies at the Soclof’s. The kids were rolling the cookie dough into balls and putting them on the cookie sheets.<\/p>\n

B says to G: You need to put the cookies further apart or when they get baked they will get stuck together.<\/p>\n

G to B: Leave me alone! Don’t tell me what to do!<\/p>\n

The beginning of a fight. \u00a0I am debating whether or not \u00a0to retreat into the bedroom and let them duke it out. G, sounds just on the edge of losing it completely. I decide to stay and help them work through it by the one of the greatest techniques known to parents, Empathy.<\/p>\n

B to G: I am only trying to be helpful. They aren’t going to be good. Just move them over a bit!<\/p>\n

G to B: Stop bothering me! You are always criticizing me!<\/p>\n

B to G: No I am not. I only tell you things for your own good. (Does he sound like a parent or what!)<\/p>\n

Me: So G, you don’t like to be told what to do, you feel like it is criticism. \u00a0B you really want to just be helpful and make sure the cookies don’t get smooshed together.<\/p>\n

B and G: Yeh!<\/p>\n

Me to B: Sometimes it helps, when you want to try to tell someone something they might take as criticism to \u00a0say:<\/p>\n

I don’t know if you want to hear this, putting the cookies on the baking sheet like that will make them get stuck.<\/p>\n

B to G (who was always a quick learner):\u00a0I don’t know if you want to hear this, putting the cookies on the baking sheet like that will make them get stuck.<\/p>\n

G to B: Leave me alone, you are still criticizing me!<\/p>\n

Me: So you still don’t like the way he is talking to you. You feel like he is making you feel bad about the way you are making the cookies.<\/p>\n

How about if B says something like,<\/p>\n

I am sorry if this is making you upset, I just want to make your cookies look good.<\/p>\n

B to G(again, such a quick learner!):\u00a0I am sorry if this is making you upset, I just want to make your cookies look good.<\/p>\n

G to B: Stop telling me what to do and bothering me.<\/p>\n

Me to G: You really don’t want him to tell you anything about the cookies. You want to do it your own way.<\/p>\n

Me to B: I know you are trying to be helpful, however he wants to do it his own way.<\/p>\n

B: Fine, but they won’t come at good!<\/p>\n

Me to G: G, your brother really wants the cookies to come out good and look nice. It is important to him!<\/p>\n

G: I don’t care what they look like, but fine, I will move them over!<\/p>\n

Crisis averted. Cookies made. They tasted delicious and they looked great and no one was hurt in the process.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We were making sugar cookies at the Soclof’s. The kids were rolling the cookie dough into balls and putting them on the cookie sheets. B says to G: You need to put the cookies further apart or when they get baked they will get stuck together. G to B: Leave me alone! Don’t tell me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n