Q&A
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Q. Lately, my six-year-old has been acting like a little know-it-all, correcting his older siblings, friends and even me! While I'm pleased that he is eager to learn, I'm not so happy with his assumption that he is always right and everyone else is always wrong
By being intentional, you can use this situation as an opportunity to connect with your son and to teach him how to interact with others in a sensitive way.
There are some bloopers that your son really has to correct – like when he sees that his older sister is about to pour salt instead of sugar into the cookie dough. But as a rule, the choice not to correct others is a question of good manners, and, as Emily Post said, “manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.” The next time you observe this behavior, take your son aside. Start by letting him know that you’re proud that he’s learned so much. Then ask him how the other children seemed to feel after he corrected them. Build his sensitivity to the feelings of others by asking him how he feels when he is corrected. Then give him a simple formula to apply before he corrects someone, such as “How will it make my friend feel if I say he’s wrong?” and “Will something bad happen if I don’t say anything?” Expanding your child’s awareness is a powerful motivator for changing his behavior.
