Friday, September 10, 2010

The Slug Sandwich

Some things go down easier than others.
 Confronting parents about unpleasant situations with their child has never been at the top of my list. I usually bounce off of coworker or a good friend some of the best ways to approach a parent. I don't know what it is, somehow...they always know. No matter how cheery and delightful I try to be in suggesting a little chat.
Defenses are up immediately.
Then I heard about The Slug Sandwich.
Some things are unpleasant.
S= Sweetness mingled with
L=Love
U=The Unpleasant Parts doused with Understanding
G=Gentleness (Keep it on hand, no matter what reaction you receive)

I learned that a slug sandwich can be administered over a long period, not just within a conversation. I consider myself a pretty good cook but slug sandwiches can only be mastered with a few hard knocks.
I think the sweetness makes anything do down a bit easier.

Have you ever made a slug sandwich?

4 comments:

Jenni said...

That is a great analogy, love it! I've had SLUG sandwiches before, just never called it that...I will be refering to this for a long time! This may just catch on in the child development field!

Barbra The Bloggess said...

I have also heard it called the velvet hammer technique...it just doesn't have the same feel to me, though.
I did make up it up as an acronym....kinda helped me remember.
Thanks for the sweet comment.
Who knows...maybe it will catch on.

Dan Gurney said...

That's a cute acronym. When I deliver "bad" news to a parent, I refrain from using any judgmental language, sticking only to descriptive language, just the facts. It works.

Barbra The Bloggess said...

@ Dan
It's the judgmental words or tone that would turn anyone off.
I have found when it comes to situations like concerns about possible learning delays it's always best to state just facts and refer them to the child's pediatrician.