A simple strategy called Flip It helps caregivers deal with stressful situations when children act out. In Season 2, Episode 2 of Centering Kids: Advice from the Experts at The Florida Center for Early Childhood, host Merab Favorite, (filling in for Kristen Theisen) interviews Dr. Johnna Brynn, a mental health professional, and director of training and professional development of The Florida Center’s training institute.

In this episode, they discuss Flip It, a strategy developed by a preschool teacher who created it to support a preschool-aged student that exhibited very challenging behaviors and impeded the learning of her peers.

Flip It helps caregivers deal with stressful situations through a 4-part approach that teaches them to respond positively to everyday challenges and challenging behaviors in children ages 3-8. The strategy also helps develop the child’s social-emotional skills as they learn to identify their feelings, develop healthy self-control and reduce challenging behavior.

Flip It is an acronym for the following steps:

• FEELINGS: Gently talk with children about their feelings and what you are seeing and hearing as a result of their emotions. Help children identify the root feelings causing the behavior.
• LIMITS: Remind children of the positive limits and expectations you have for their behavior. Loving and simple limits help surround children with a sense of consistency, safety, and trust.
• INQUIRIES: Encourage children to think about solutions to their challenges. Ask questions that promote problem-solving and healthy coping skills.  Inquiries invite children to think, learn and gain self-control.
• PROMPTS: Provide creative cues, clues, and suggestions for children having difficulty problem-solving. Enthusiastic, bright ideas can lead the way to better problem-solving skills.

By following the steps, parents can take a step back and think about responding in a positive manner that helps their child deal with “bid feelings” in a way that promotes growth.

For more helpful trainings, visit www.floridacentertraining.org