Boss No More

Honors, 2014 NAPPA Awards

What happens when one kid thinks he can always choose the game played on the playground? Who can play and who cannot? Who is the BOSS? Lucas tries to be that kid, but his friends have had enough!

Children learn to negotiate social interactions from their early experiences: playing with siblings, participating in classroom activities, working with others in the community, and spending time with their friends. In these situations, kids argue and disagree right alongside joyful and happy play. Disagreements can stem from the simplest things—who is “it” in tag, who chooses what game is played, or who gets to sit next to whom during lunch. As one might imagine, most kids like to influence the outcome of conflicts to their benefit and to have things go their way.

A Note to Parents written by Tammy L. Hughes, PhD, explains how children learn to solve problems and deal with social conflicts, and suggests ways for parents to help guide their children through the rough spots of normal childhood development.