Monday, July 06, 2009  How I deal with hitting (and kicking,
biting, taking, scratching . . .)    I learned something vital
on that day about brute force. The image of that moment crosses
my mind at least once a month, accompanied by a sharp flash of
shame – I guess it’s a manifestation of what we call conscience.
Every time I am gentle with others, it’s at least in part an
apology to that boy in diapers.  We always have children in our
Pre-3 class who hit. We have children who will take. We have
children who will push, pull, scratch, and even bite. And we
have children who will be “victims”. Often they will be the same
kids. (For the sake of this article, the word "hit" will refer
to the entire spectrum of behavior.)     Teacher Tom’s 8-Step
Plan for Learning Through Conflict (2-year-old version)  1) Stay
calm.   3) Normally, no one is very hurt and normally there is a
clear offender. Keep both parties proximate, even if that
requires using "physical force". (I've found that a gentle arm
around the waist usu