Teaching
Children to Be Fair
Adrian H. Cline,
Superintendent
When children do not get their way, you
will often hear them say, “That’s not fair!”
Fairness has different meanings for everyone. It can mean listening before forming an opinion
or jumping to a conclusion. It can mean
taking turns in a game or not playing favorites. What children need to understand is that
fairness has to do with how they treat others.
What can parents do to help their children
develop fairness as a character trait?
Here are some ideas:
·
Listen when
your children say something is not fair.
Ask them what they want you to do to make it fair, and act on ideas that
are appropriate.
·
Teach your
children to compromise. Make sure they
understand that compromising does not mean that one person “gives up” and the
other person gets what he or she wants.
·
Listen to
others without interrupting to give your viewpoint or to criticize. This can be difficult, but if you model
listening skills, your children will develop them as well.
·
Share jobs
and chores in your home, and make sure girls and boys do a variety of tasks, so
that they do not stereotype certain ones.
·
When your
children are being unfair, ask them whether they think they are being fair or
whether they are just trying to get their way at the expense of another
person’s feelings.
·
Practice
the Golden Rule in your home. If your
household can “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” fairness
will become a family habit and a lifelong skill.
Teaching
Your Child What to Do in an Emergency
In case of an emergency, your child needs
to know the following basic information:
·
What to
do if he or she gets lost. Have your child
practice stating his or her full name, address, and phone number. Tell the child to stay where he or she is
upon realizing he or she is lost.
Emphasize repeatedly that he or she is not to leave the premises with
anyone. If possible, provide the child
with a pager.
·
How to
contact you in an emergency. Teach your child how
to contact you at home, at work, or at a friend’s. An alternative is to teach him or her a
trusted adult’s phone number, such as the phone number of his or her
grandmother or one of your close friends.
·
How to
call from a pay phone. Teach your child to
carry coins for the pay phone when he or she is away from home. Show him or her how to drop the coins in
slowly, dial the number, and wait for an answer. Demonstrate how to leave a message when an
answering machine is reached.
Remember, the best way to prepare your
child for an emergency is to educate him or her before it happens.
The Office
of Adrian H. Cline, Superintendent of Schools, is open from