Games Children Play (and how to stop them)

Welcome to Games Children Play (and how to stop them)!

If you are a parent you will have seen at least one of these games and if you’re an expectant parent sooner or later your child will want to play at least one of these games.

Finger painting with poop.
Stealing just because I want it.
Fire, Fire burning bright

The object of this lesson is to help you find ways to stop these games before someone gets hurt or you loose your sanity. Each game will be discussed, possible solutions offered and feedback very much encouraged.

Teacher: [threelade]

Students:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Brief Outline:

1. Finger painting with poop.
2. Stealing just because I want it.
3. Fire, Fire burning bright

Finger painting with poop.

Children are always fascinated by new things so having your child play with his poop is not abnormal nor does he understand that it’s disgusting. He does need to learn that it is unacceptable as fast as possible because fesses carry a large number of bacteria, many of which can cause disease.

Most often the finger painting comes into play after your child wakes up and has an accident. He is alone in his room without parent supervision and he has a brand new toy. When you enter the room you are treated to the sight of a budding Picaso decorating his walls with the best of his imagination. Don’t get upset! Remember, he doesn’t understand that this is wrong. Simply tell the child, “No, this is not a toy. Poop goes in the potty.” Wash his hands and then clean up the mess. The next time he sleeps get to his room 10 minutes earlier to prevent any repeats. If he wants to play with his poop when it’s in the potty tell him, “No, this is not a toy.”

The trick is to keep it short and simple so a toddler can understand what you want of him. Close monitoring of a toddler is essential to maintain acceptable behavior and if you keep your child on a schedule the unexpected is much easier to deal with.

Stealing just because I want it.

Children under the age of five are not learned thieves. They take what they want because they want it. Our job is to teach them that taking what you want when it isn’t yours has a title called STEALING and it’s not nice. Sounds easy right? Well, it isn’t. You the parent have to teach your child this lesson without getting upset with the child and without harsh discipline.

Sometimes just telling the child, “No, that’s not yours.” Is enough to stop the child from stealing but sometime you have to be a little bit creative. When I had this problem with one of my toddlers the only way I could break him of it was to take a toy he was playing with. When he would start to get upset I would return the toy and ask him if it felt bad when I took his toy. I would then explain to him that I felt bad when he took something that belonged to me (Insert brother, sister, daddy or friend as needed) In a few short lessons he stopped taking things from other family members.

Fire, Fire burning bright

Children playing with fire cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year. Preschoolers are most likely to start these fires, typically by playing with matches and lighters, and are most likely to die in them.

Facts & figures*

• In 2002, children playing with fire started an estimated 13,900 structure fires that were reported to U.S. fire departments, causing an estimated 210 civilian deaths, 1,250 civilian injuries and $339 million in direct property damage.
• The figures for 2002 structure fires, civilian deaths and civilian injuries are the lowest ever recorded.
• Most of the people killed in child-playing fires are under 5, and such fires are the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers.
• Roughly two out of every three child-playing fires -- and three out of four associated deaths and injuries -- involve matches or lighters.
• The child-playing fire problem has been smaller, relative to population, in Canada and much smaller in Japan.
• Children also start fires by playing with candles, fireworks, stoves and cigarettes.
• Among fatal home fires started by children playing, seven out of 10 involve children igniting bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture or clothing.
• Just over half of child-playing fires in the home start in a bedroom.
• Children who start fires may be children in crisis, with the fires acting as cries for help from stressful life experiences or abuse, according to studies of fire-setting behavior. 
• As of 2002, deaths in child-playing home structure fires had declined by roughly half since 1994, when the child-resistant lighter standard went into effect.

*From NFPA's Children Playing with Fire, by John R. Hall, Jr., March 2005.

Safety tips

• Store matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight, up high, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Never use lighters or matches as a source of amusement for children. They may imitate what you do.
• If your child expresses curiosity about fire or has been playing with fire, calmly but firmly explain that matches and lighters are tools for adults only.
• Use only lighters designed with child-resistant features. Remember child-resistant does not mean child proof.
• Teach young children to tell an adult if they see matches or lighters, and teach school-age children to bring any matches or lighters to an adult.
• Never leave matches or lighters in a bedroom or any place where children may go without supervision.
• If you suspect your child is intentionally setting fires or unduly fascinated with fire, get help. Your local fire department, school, or community counseling agency can put you in touch with trained experts.

Well, I did get in touch with a trained expert and his advice was the best but not quite what I had expected. It was recommended that I let my child play with fire under very strictly controlled situations. Build a small campfire in the back yard and let him play at putting things in the fire. We toasted marshmallows, melted crayons and burned sticks. Any time one of my three little ones wanted to play with fire I would repeat the exercise letting them know that it was ok to be curious about fire and it was ok to experiment but only if I were there with them and only if they did what I told them to do when around the fire because if they didn’t then they could be hurt very badly. Watching things burn up, melt or warp installed in them a deep respect for fire and the damage it could do.


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