Adult and small child fighting over... a chair.


Backroads
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I recently switched classes and am now teaching the 4 & 5 year-olds. Cute little buggers, but one is quite the bugger. In the primary room, we are set up with chairs for the anticipated number of kids and the adults--no more, no less.

One of my girls has been continually stealing my chair or throwing a tantrum if she can't sit in the "big" chair. Usually I'm of the opinion that a chair is a chair, but I'm 7 months pregnant and crouching in an itty-bitty chair is quite painful. My partner is an older woman who certainly isn't meant for little chairs, either, so giving into the little girl and asking my partner to switch chairs isn't really an option.

I'm all for putting my foot down, but some days I just don't want to deal with her drama over this chair.

I'm considering pulling in a big chair from another classroom and calling it good. Would that be the best way to go? I don't think primary is the best time to be going over such a lesson with this kid.

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I agree with Pam and Selek. She continues to throw a fit - take her to Mommy or Daddy. After the block explain to them why.

I had a girl that would not sit in her chair. She would lay on the floor with her legs up on the chair. Mommy ignored her and she ended up disrupting the entire RS. So the RS Pres took her to Daddy. The men wouldn't allow her to disrupt them, and she really did not want to be with Daddy. After a few weeks of that, she calmed down and sat in the chair.

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Then you are teaching her that throwing a fit and she gets her way.

'Cept she doesn't get her way. I like my chair and I don't want to sit in a little one. We then have pouty mouth refusing to behave in primary.

Sigh. I feel immature just talking about this!

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'Cept she doesn't get her way. I like my chair and I don't want to sit in a little one. We then have pouty mouth refusing to behave in primary.

Sigh. I feel immature just talking about this!

Then little miss pouty mouthy goes out to Mom or Dad to deal with.

Sometimes you have to draw the line in the sand. You can only go this far and then there will be consequences for your behavior.

She's going to continue to push you until you push back. When you do push back make sure it makes a lasting impression or you'll fight this battle again.

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Thanks, guys. I think I'll try to push her off on Mom. I work great with 6 and 7 years olds, but this preschool age is beyond my understanding. Our Primary presidency talks big about disciplining kids for us but...

I also may have to be patient. Today didn't have too much drama and she mainly sat with tears in her eyes all through opening exercises. The last few weeks have just been a constantly whining and crying little girl.

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The time change probably has her sleep schedule messed up, and you're a new teacher, and that stuff is hard for some little ones to adjust to. I'm sure it will get better in the next few weeks.

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I'm teaching the four year olds this year too. It's been a huge adjustment for me. I think I'm slowly getting the hang of the younger kids. I've sort of had the same problem as Backroads with the kids wanting to sit in the big chairs during sharing time. One time I did just get a different chair. Today, I had the offender get off the big chair and sit on the little chair. I think, for some reason at this age, they like to think they're "big" kids. During class time, quite a few of the children don't want to sit on their chairs, but want to lay down, or sit backwards, or kneel, anything but sit down. Today, I was very firm that during the lesson time they had to "park it". That means sitting still, like a parked car. Also, told them they had to sit on their chairs "back to back, and seat to seat". That means their back is on the back of the chair, not their chests (sitting backwards), and their seat needed to be on the seat of the chair--no laying down, etc. They seemed to get it. We do take a break during class for a drink of water or the restroom. I told them when we color or have an activity they don't have to "park it" then.

Edited by classylady
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EDIT: Read your post to fast, thus the change:

When the children are in sharing time the chairs have already been set up. The child, boy or girl, needs to learn where to sit. If the child continues to throw a fit, then I agree with other posters who have shared that the parents need to be involved. This provides the parents and opportunity to teach and guide their child toward appropriate behaviors during sharing time.

I don't personally believe it is a matter of who is in charge, as it is more a matter of helping the child recognize proper behavior during sharing time.

When children are in their personal classrooms, grabbing another chair isn't a big deal, depending on how easy it is to obtain another chair. Some primaries have a lot of children and grabbing an additional chair will not be easy, thus out of the question.

A woman who is 7 months pregnant shouldn't be sitting in one of the smaller chairs.

Edited by Anddenex
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