YOU’RE IN CHARGE
Kids can be surprisingly persuasive when they want you to do things their way. Try these wise words the next time you don’t know what to say.
Offer a substitute
She says: “My parents make me hot chocolate every night – and they let me drink in the bed.”
You say: “Hot chocolate in the bed doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. I’ll give you a glass of milk and read you a story while you drink it in the kitchen.”
Offer a substitute that you feel good about. Ask parents about the rules when they get home so that next time you’ll know.
Give her a choice
She says: “ I just want to jump from table onto the sofa one time.”
You say: “you have a choice. You can either climb down from the table your-self, o I can help you down. Which do you choose?”
When you give children a choice, you’re teaching them that you make rules but that they have some control over what happens.
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