by Amelia | Jun 11, 2017 | blog
The Sensory Connection My mouse moves across the desk like a OUIJA pointer toward a Facebook tab. My legs leap out of my chair and propel me toward the kitchen. I come back with a steaming mug of tea, but a moment later, I’m sniffing out a bag of sour candy, just in...
by Amelia | Jun 4, 2017 | blog
Look children! Values! Let us learn some. I’m a behaviourist, so what am I doing, trying to write about values? Aren’t they abstract, airy-fairy things, and thus out of my realm? Aren’t they impossible to teach to children who are non-verbal or who...
by Amelia | May 27, 2017 | blog
“I tried and I tried and I didn’t give up!” When my 5-year-old son said this out loud the other day (brand new yo-yo in hand and very little aptitude or previous experience), I just about did back-flips. I’ve been quietly brainwashing (ahem, I...
by Amelia | May 21, 2017 | blog
We all want our children to be independent and resourceful, but not necessarily 100% of the time. Sometimes they need help with problem-solving. It’s tough when your little DIY-expert resists your best advice and ignores your words of wisdom, preferring to learn...
by Amelia | May 15, 2017 | blog
My father often says something rather wise: you get what you pay for. In many cases, a reward is like a payment, and it makes that behaviour more likely to occur in the future (whether you planned for it or not.) This post is all about how this strategy can back-fire,...
by Amelia | May 6, 2017 | blog
Child: *Poke poke poke poke poke poke* Me: “Sweetie, what are you doing?” Child: “I’m waiting for you to say ‘please stop’ so I can say OKAY!” Uh oh. As I mentioned last week, I’ve been working on training the children...
