A young child is upset and misbehaving and a frustrated dad raises his voice, threatening a “timeout.” The child responds by yelling louder and refusing to do as his dad asks. How does this situation end?
In many cases, it ends with both parent and child feeling stressed and angry. But researchers who have studied child behavior say parents can rewrite the ending to this common scenario and have a powerful positive impact on their child’s future in the process.
Raising a Thinking Child, a program designed to enhance children’s critical thinking skills, is being used by University of Wisconsin-Extension family living educators around the state with parents, caregivers and those who work with children in a variety of settings. The program is designed to give children as young as 3 years old and their parents a different way to talk about problems.
The Shawano County UW-Extension office will offer the eight-week program beginning Sept. 25. Classes will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday through Nov. 13 at Hillcrest Primary School, 1410 S Waukechon St.
Developed by Myrna Shure, of Drexel University and adapted for Wisconsin families by UW-Extension educators, the program is based on studies showing that training mothers of 4-year-olds how to teach problem-solving skills to their children at home can result in better behavior and relationships.
“We looked at programs from around the world that were potentially a good fit for Wisconsin families and selected Raising a Thinking Child,” said Mary Huser, program specialist with UW-Extension.
Parents who complete the program report that their children are better able to control their impulses, share and take turns, and are less easily upset in frustrating situations.
“The skills parents learn in the program help their child develop non-violent solutions to conflicts, build friendships, and consider the consequences of their actions,” Huser said.
In addition, kids were able to transfer their problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to school. “That is likely because Raising a Thinking Child trains parents to teach their children how to think—not what to think,” Huser said.
Research shows that people who think critically tend to have stronger interpersonal relationships and better employment success. In fact, experts say that critical thinking skills are an essential requirement in a competitive 21st century workforce.
UW-Extension Walworth County educator Jenny Wehmeier conducted Raising a Thinking Child trainings and reports that 80 percent of parents said what they learned helps them control their anger and frustration. Seventy percent said they worked with their child on ways to express or control these emotions.
“The program gives parents guidelines for how to talk about problems,” Wehmeier said. “And it gives kids a vocabulary to talk about their feelings. What’s so impressive is that we are seeing the effects last beyond the end of the program. Parents have told us months later that their children are more patient, helping others and showing more concern for others.”
In Green County, UW-Extension educator Bridget Mouchon also finds that parents who participated in Raising a Thinking Child are continuing to use the approaches they learned in the program.
“Parents sometimes feel they have to act as referees,” Mouchon said. “But this program demonstrates that children can solve many of their own problems with guidance from their parents.”
Asking children if they can think of another way to handle a problem, or to identify their feelings about an issue also contributes to a healthy home environment and better parent-child relationships.
“One of the most consistent responses parents give after completing the program is that there’s less yelling at home. Home is more harmonious, less chaotic,” Mouchon said.
The program in Shawano is a cooperative effort between Hillcrest Primary School and the UW-Extension. Nancy Schultz, Extension family living educator for Shawano County, and Amie Beyersdorf, Hillcrest Primary School counselor, will be the facilitators.
Child care will be available. For more information, call 715-526-6136 or 715-526-2134, or send an email to nancy.schultz@ces.uwex.edu or beyersa@shawanoschools.com.
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