you rugrats,” he says enthusiastically, “it’s time for
the thrillin’, chillin’ pajama race! Racers’ pj’s on in
one minute.… Start your engines! On your marks, get
set, GO! Rrrrrrrrrrrrr!”
Keep It Positive
You can often avoid power struggles with one simple trick: Tell your
child what
to do, rather than what
not to do. For example, “Chairs
are for sitting” rather than “Stop standing on the chair.” Or “Slow
down, now!” versus “Don’t run!” Or “You
usually keep your feet off
the new sofa, but I guess today you forgot.” Correcting behavior
with positive statements makes kids feel more respected.
Another way to keep it positive is to be a little playful. For the
child who is
dawdling when you need to rush, try whispering what
you want her to do or challenge her to a race to see who can get
shoes on fastest. (During
the race, play the boob by repeatedly
dropping your shoes, so your child can win.)
A fun way to help a
child who has trouble making transitions is to make a trumpet
sound to announce what’s coming next.
Once you start thinking about how to get your message across
effectively, you’ll probably come up
with dozens more ways that
will make your rules seem more like play than like orders.
Sandwich your demands
between two fun activities. For example,
say, “Let’s play with your trains. After
that we can pick up your
toys. Then it’ll be time for a snack! What yummy-licious food should
we eat for snack today?”
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