Dealing With Difficult People

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying: “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.”

The Exchange Essentials article collection, Dealing with Difficult People, provides a number of tips for coping with negativity in the early childhood workplace (or most any workplace, for that matter).

Interestingly, in an article Gigi Schweikert contributed to the collection, she asks each of us to consider whether we might actually be one of those difficult people - and she offers advice on what to do about it if we are. She explains:

“Early childhood professionals interact as much with the other adults in the classroom and the program as they do with the children...To be successful in early childhood education, we have to love and work well with the children and the adults, even if the adults aren't as cute...” To check in with ourselves, so we can avoid being one of the difficult ones, Schweikert encourages us to ask:

“Do you have a good attitude at work or do you tend to grumble, complain, and make unfavorable comments? A person with a good attitude:

• knows and expects that things won't always go as planned.
• accepts the situation as it is, but works to improve it.
• is generally happy, despite the circumstances...”

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