Oppositional Defiant Children

Most children only see the solution to a problem as someone wins and someone loses. They become frustrated because they don’t get their own way. In many cases the frustration leads to anger. If you invite children to participate in a tug of war with each side pulling in an opposite direction they will learn that someone will always win and someone will always lose.

Implementation Procedure

1- Get a thick piece of rope about 6 feet in length.

2- Place a piece of yarn in the middle of the rope and place a piece of tape on the floor.

3- Place the yarn in the middle located by the tape on the floor.

4- I would suggest placing a beanbag behind each child so when they pull back they can fall into the beanbag.

5- I would also suggest having 2 pairs of gloves the children can wear for the demonstration.

6- When one kid wins and the other loses the teacher can say “What a Bummer” let them know you want both of them to win!

7- Always a good idea to choose a strong kid that will be opposite your oppositional Defiant child.

You can help your students learn how to compromise by using the rope pulling experience to teach we need to stop pulling in opposite directions and start working together. Demonstrate how easy it is to have both students pull in the same direction. They’ll recognize the importance of compromising through this activity. This is a great lesson for oppositional defiant children who have a contraire and oppositional heart.

– Gene Bedley