What’s the best way to console a child when they fall or smash their
finger in the door? Is it enough to blow on the affected area or might you need
to resort to an ice cream, too?
Either, says Dana Mundt, of the German Conference for Child Guidance.
Parents who trust their gut feelings usually know very well what they
should do in case of an injury or conflict. “With children, it often helps just
to give them attention, so they see that someone is there to hold them or blow
on the painful area,” Mundt says.
The main thing is for mums and dads to take the pain seriously and to
name the feeling: “Now that really hurt, didn’t it?”
Every now and then, sweets or small toys may be appropriate when it
comes to consolation. “Of course, almost everyone knows that from their own
childhood,” the expert notes.
However, if parents pull out their wallet for every incident, they will
fuel the child’s expectation that there will always be a reward.
Many families resort to consolation rituals, such as blowing or kissing
away the pain, sticking on colourful plasters and so on. It’s also possible to
distract the child with a song or a rhyme.
In the end, whatever parents choose will make
almost no difference. Stroking and consoling the child – reassuring him or her
– will reduce the little one’s stress and give the feeling of security. – dpa
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