At school I am constantly reminding myself that I am not a parent, I am a behavioralist. I strive for my students independence; I do not hold their hands, I rarely show emotion and above all, I DO NOT negotiate.
At home I must remind myself that I am a parent and not a behavioralist. I am here as a nurturer, a provider, a teacher and above all to show love and affection.
So, the little boy has some stubborn characteristics(gets it from his father) and I must remind myself that I have to be a parent and not a behavioralist. He does not like to drink from a cup, rather he REFUSES to drink from a cup. He also has decided that he no longer wants to feed himself with the spoon but he wants you to feed him and IF you dare put the spoon in his hand, the result...instant full-blown tantrum.
I, as the behavioralist, look at the ABC of the situation. What is the antecedent, what is the behavior and what is the consequence of the behavior. I will analyze this spoon and cup issue for hours... does he do it as attention seeking, as escape, etc... I will then find ways to solve the problem.
So, after charting all my data, I decided that in order for little man to like spoons and cups he would ONLY play with spoons and cups thus developing a liking for them. Now, some of you might think this is mean, downright nasty perhaps. However, you must understand this is what I do on a daily basis. I get the toughest of the toughest kiddos, I analyze their behaviors and then I correct them. I live for this...
However, as Eli was playing with his cups and spoons I realized that perhaps I was being a bit ridiculous...after all he isn't even 8 months old yet.
All I have to say is son, I am sorry that you have a behavioralist as a mom. Hopefully, one day when you are old, you will look back and thank me. Until then...just drink from a cup and eat with your spoon!
