skip to navigation
Pampers® Village a place to grow

Expert Q&A:
How should we react when our 3-year-old sings about being rejected by us?

0   people commented
on this article
 
0
 
0
Caroline Clauss-Ehlers
Answered by Caroline Clauss-Ehlers Ph.D.
"As a bilingual counseling psychologist and media correspondent," says Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers, "I'm interested in what helps children and families be resilient in the face of adversity and go on to live happy, productive lives. Much of my work has focused on families from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds."  

Dr. Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers (a.k.a. CC) is a nationally known counseling psychologist who trained at Teachers College, Columbia University and the NYU-Bellevue Hospital Center. She is associate professor of counseling psychology at the Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Program Coordinator for the Programs in School Counseling and Counseling Psychology. She is a contributor to Ser Padres (Parents magazine in Spanish) and a regular guest commentator on Univision, appearing on programs such as Al Despertar and Despierta America. She is a former talk show host at 1380 AM in New York, New York, and columnist for Tribune Publishing's Spanish newspaper Hoy. Dr. Clauss-Ehlers's blog, Tips from the Parenting Toy Box, is featured on the Capessa Web site.  

Dr. Clauss-Ehlers is a 2004-2005 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism with a project focused on the stigma of mental illnesses in Latino communities. She has conducted numerous presentations for print and broadcast media that include Child magazine, Eyewitness News, Redbook, the Herald News, ABC national radio, and Channel Thirteen's Women's Health Night.  

Dr. Clauss-Ehlers has published many articles and lectured internationally at venues that include the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the 27th Inter-American Congress of Psychology in Caracas, Venezuela, the Second World Mental Health Congress in London, England, the International Congress of Psychology in Berlin, Germany, and the Korea-U.S. Joint Symposium on Anti-Stigma in Seoul, Korea.

Dr. Clauss-Ehlers received her bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in Ohio and her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is co-editor of the book Community Planning to Foster Resilience in Children (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004), author of the book Diversity Training for Classroom Teaching: A Manual for Students and Educators (Springer, 2006), and editor of the Encyclopedia for Cross-Cultural School Psychology (Springer, 2009). She is currently at work on a textbook on family psychology. 

Dr. Clauss-Ehlers lives in New York, New York, with her husband and their two daughters, ages 5 and 3.
Read bio Hide bio Hide

Question


It is understandable that this situation is upsetting to you. Try not to take the song literally.

Answer


It is understandable that this situation is upsetting to you. Try not to take the song literally. Young children often express themselves through symbolic play, and music is one such expression. Instead of trying to stop the behavior at night, try to find out about it during the day. You can start by asking your son to tell you a story about a little boy whose parents have left him. Young children aren't as verbal as older kids, so you may want to have him play the story out with his toys.

 



Keep in mind that you want to find out about the meaning of the song to your son, not the reality of the situation. You've written that you spend all your spare time with your son and don't know why he's singing this song. Maybe your son has a grandparent who is getting old or a friend who recently switched schools and is saying something to ward off his anxiety about these changes. Perhaps your son has just learned about death (if a beloved pet has died, for instance), and is playing around with this notion through his song.

 



Another possibility is that the song is actually a response to how present you and your husband are in your son's life. Is he going to school soon? Perhaps your son is mastering the fear of losing you both by saying the worst. Sometimes people say the worst to feel less afraid.

 



While you explore the meaning of your son's song to him, offer continued reassurance and love. As you begin to uncover its meaning, you can even talk with your son about including additional verses that incorporate this new understanding.

 

ADVERTISEMENT
 
 
0
Member comments

You might also like

Take on the world. One night at a time.

Find out about: Pampers UnderJams Absorbent Night Wear
Pampers UnderJams Absorbent Night Wear