Tantrums are the worse! They are inconvenient, embarrassing, and oh boy does it mess with your zen mama peace of mind.
So when my friend emailed me a link to the article “How Inuit Parents Teach Kids to Control Their Anger” I was very intrigued. For the full article please click on the link provided.
- The Inuit don’t yell at their children, especially when they are young. They see it as demeaning for the yelling parent because the parent is acting like a child having a tantrum not a full adult. When young children act out they are upset with something and it’s the adult’s job to figure it out.
- The Inuit prepare their children preemptively for situations prior through oral storytelling and role playing. The kids don’t get close to the ocean because they grew up learning there is a sea monster in the water that will grab you if you get too close. The article suggest parents now outsource their oral storytelling to screens so children benefit less from stories that help young children learn how to behave well.
- When they observe undesirable behaviors such as hitting, they wait for a cool moment and put on a playful drama and ask leading questions. The idea is to give the children experiences that will enable them to be self-reflective and understand why certain behaviors are undesirable. The article’s example is, mom: why don’t you hit me? go on hit me! Ouch, why are you hitting me, are you a baby?
The dramas are intended to teach children to not take everything so seriously (especially when being teased). The hallmark of Inuit child-rearing is emotional management and learning not to be easily provoked. This is the reason moms will repeat these dramas during playtime until misbehavior stops.
If you’re like me, ignoring misbehavior (especially when it is in public) is not an option. However, this article makes a lot of good points. Our children model their behavior by watching us. If we say bad words when we are frustrated, so will they. If they watch us calmly react to stress, they will learn to do the same.
If you’re reading this, I encourage you to be like the Inuit and not yell at your little one’s rather try to understand and communicate with them. Create fun dramas when they get old enough or read them stories that have good lessons about emotional management.
Good luck with parenting and hope you are able to find the time to read the full article if the topic interests you.