It's bound to happen. An energetic eight year old will test your patience. A sixth grader will start to annoy the other kids in your group... How will you respond?

Here are four quick tips to help you keep things under control: 

1) Don't Argue. This kid might be stubborn but you have the final say! Instead of arguing about the rules give the child choices and consequences. But be careful to offer reasonable consequences that you're prepared to follow through on  if necessary. 

2) Name the Desired Behavior. Say, "Please walk" instead of "stop running!" --positive language is less likely to lead to rebellion.

3) Keep Your Voice Down. Yelling only lets the kids know that you've lost control. Keep your emotions in check so that you can keep all the kids calm.

4) Don't Take it Personally.  So a kid is having a bad day. It might have been a rough morning at home. Or maybe it's been a stressful week. Have compassion on the kids that stress you out. Instead of feeling like a failure, say a prayer for God's peace to fill your heart and theirs!

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