Have you ever met a little 6-year-old boy with Super-Powers? Or, perhaps a better question would be: Have you ever met a little 6-year-old boy who didn’t have Super-Powers? Many boys this age are full of energy, excitement, enthusiasm, and beans. Yes, a lot of BEANS! Some of these children also have very little self-control and a great deal of impulsivity.
So, when a 6-year-old boy declares with excitement to a 10-year-old boy in the bathroom at lunch, “I’ve got Super Powers!” The best answer probably would not be, with an attitude, “No, you DON’T!” So, of course, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the 6-year-old boy had to demonstrate his karate-chopping Super Powers to the 10-year-old (or should I say, ON the 10-year-old boy).
I’m fortunate that I have a relationship with this little guy. Our relationship makes it easier to discuss with him his actions and the results of these actions. While on the surface, he understands that he is supposed to keep his hands to himself, he isn’t able to control his actions yet.
In situations like this, I hope I am always charmed by these children. We need to see the 
gifts that they bring to us and cherish them. If we don’t see these gifts in these (and all) children, then we may begin to think these children are “bad”, when this is not the case. If we think this way, we definitely will not be able to reach them and have impact on them and their behaviour now and into the future.
Do children sometimes display challenging behaviours? Sure. We must remember, children of this age want to make those they care about happy. They care about what we think of them and their actions. Sometimes, though, their impulsivity takes over. We need to remember to maintain our positive relationships with these children and try to be there to support them to make more appropriate choices. We need to teach them how to have the mixed feelings they need to have in order to eventually make the “right”, socially acceptable choices (like not using your super-powers at school).
Are you “charmed” by children like this?
It's All About Learning 
Ya gotta love those impulsive kids, and I agree that it is all in how we view the behaviour that drives our reactions. If we can see that young children (and many older ones as well) have not yet developed the self control to not act on every impulse, we will be a lot more patient and understanding. I appreciate the very clear way that you have expressed this! Bravo to all adults who take the time to really understand children and are patient with their less than perfect behaviour!
Thanks, Arlene,
Yes, we really need to think about how we view the behaviour of children (and adults, for that matter). There are reason for the behaviour, and it is most often not what we think. We need to take time to understand, be patient, and realize that kids are good (and so are adults).