Just be honest and tell it like it is.
But there's no place to tell it like it is. It's a yes/no sort of situation. Or, really only a yes situation. The implication is that you won't even apply if you can't affirm that your child has practiced nonviolence for her entire life. I mean, that is sort of a moot point for us personally anyway, since it'll be years before we are ready to apply, if ever.
If she is hitting you, it would be good for us all to put our heads together and figure out if there is anything that can be done to fade that particular behavior, but no, I don't think that will keep her out of YSP.
Thanks. Actually, I do know how to stop her from doing it. In the past, we had a rule that she couldn't use the computer for 24 hours after an incident, and that wiped it out almost entirely (to less than once a month). Eventually, I convinced myself that we didn't need that rule anymore...and we didn't, for a while. Since our recent cross-country move, the hitting is back. And I do understand that she is very homesick, and angry at us for taking her away from home, and she misses her friends, etc., etc. Anyway, I re-instituted the rule today, and I predict that she'll be controlling herself much better from now on.
I'm sad about it. I believe that teaching children not to be violent because they will suffer consequences can impair their ability to develop empathy. I know the kid has great empathy for other children, but I do wish she had more where her parents are concerned.
