At Mighty Moments, we use a range of evidence-based methods to support children’s development. We believe it is vital that we reflect on our practice, constantly learning from real-world experiences to not only improve our programs as a whole, but also our teaching practice as individuals. By engaging with children in a way that prioritises their emotions, relationships, and environment, we help them build strong social and emotional skills that will benefit them for life. 

We came across a fantastic book by Dr Pat Palmer, EdD, called The Mouse, the Monster and Me: Assertiveness for Young People. Dr Pat’s work beautifully expanded our understanding of conflict and how children deal with it!

We have integrated Dr Pat’s ideas into our practice, teaching children the easy-to-remember names of the styles and ways to identify them. This assists children in being brave, owning feelings, and communicating their truth with friends, teammates, classmates, and others. 

Everyone encounters conflict, and knowing our style and potential ways others might respond to conflict helps create great awareness and better interactions. It can also help inform us of personality types, dynamics, processes, and possibilities. Children often learn these skills from their parents, guardians, caregivers, or other people they spend significant time with. However, other factors impact how quickly and effectively they are learned, including: Emotional safety at home and a child’s innate emotional intelligence.

Now let’s look at the three different CONFLICT STYLES Dr Pat outlines in her book:

Which one of these do you use? And what could YOU do to be a little MIGHTIER?