I met a young lady in grade one who could not sit still for anything! As I watched her, I thought about the labels that people might attach to her: undisciplined, badly behaved, a poor listener.
But I know that all behaviour is an attempt to meet a need. Watching her reminded me of a training session I recently attended where my behaviour was similar. The only difference is that I’m older and more skilled at managing when I’m in a situation where I’m stuck in a hard chair in a cold room with someone talking to me about something that I’m not that interested in.
She’s not bad or undisciplined. She had a need. And she needs to learn some strategies for meeting her needs in a more appropriate way.
When I was stuck in that training session, I got up and stood at the back of the room for awhile. I got a coffee. I fiddled with my pen.
I hope this beautiful girl doesn’t learn from adults that she is a frustrating, bad kid. I hope we take the time to teach her what she needs to learn.
Rebecca's Restitution Resource 