Along with the awareness of themselves, children develop a growing awareness and appreciation for others too.
A great deal of early learning takes place in the context of social interactions with adults and peers.
Conflicts are inevitable as kids navigate friendships, sibling dynamics, and social situations. Rather than avoiding disagreements, we can equip children with the tools to resolve conflicts constructively.
A child’s earliest social and emotional experiences set the stage for his or her well-being throughout life.
The STEP Approach to Conflict Resolution
This simple yet powerful approach provides children with a step-by-step process for working through conflicts in a peaceful manner.
Many education organizations, parenting resources, and child psychologists recommend some variation of these basic steps.
It seems to be a commonly used framework for teaching conflict resolution skills to children, drawing from principles of emotional intelligence, mediation, and problem-solving techniques.
S - Stop and calm down:
Take a deep breath, count to ten, or take a break to regain composure.
T - Think about the problem:
Think about the problem: Encourage both parties to share their perspectives without blaming or accusing.
E - Explore solutions:
Brainstorm potential solutions that address everyone’s needs and concerns.
P - Pick the best solution:
Agree on a resolution that’s fair and acceptable to all involved.
Role-playing and modeling these steps can help children internalize this process and apply it in real-life situations.
By taking a pause, considering both viewpoints, generating options, and agreeing on a resolution, kids learn crucial skills like emotional regulation, empathy, and compromise.
The Shared Concern Method
This method focuses on finding common ground and shared interests between conflicting parties.
Similar to the STEP approach this process involves:
1. Letting each child express their perspective and feelings without interruption.
2. Identifying the shared concern or problem they want to solve.
3. Brainstorming possible solutions that address everyone’s interests.
4.Negotiating and agreeing on a mutually acceptable solution
This cooperative approach fosters active listening, validates each child’s needs, and teaches them to find creative solutions that work for all involved.
Both of these methods empower kids to take ownership and responsibility in resolving conflicts, developing invaluable social-emotional skills.
What other conflict resolution approaches do you know?
What to know more about conflict resolution for your young ones?