Concession Sometimes nothing works. And sometimes for reasons of sheer equality or common sense or both, the parent finds it necessary to concede. After all, we’re not our childlren’s adversaries; we’re their advocates. Sometimes, both interests are seerved by giving in. Giving in to a tantrum now and then will not foster a juvenile delinquent. Is the damage done by one extra cookie worth half an hour of wear and tear on both […]
Retreat Sometimes there is nothing else but to retreat. Let the child know you will absolutely not be drawn in. This approach is justified when the stimulus to the tantrum is so absurd that it is not worth any effort (such as the one that frequently occurs when someone fails to cut the sandwich in precisely the correct size pieces). No parent should be expected to wasted much imaginative effort on such minuscule […]
Diversionary Tactic Try to divert the child’s interest to something else. Pick up his favourite book and offer to read, or bring him a toy he likes. Children, especially young ones, have such short attention spans that they can often be distracted from their own performances. If this doesn’t work, try sitting down and actively playing with one of the child’s toys yourself. Make comments like, “Gee, I’d forgotten how much fun this puzzle is. […]
Bait & Switch For the child with a good sense of humour (usually an older child or three or more), bait and switch is worth a try. The parent says something like, “I can see you’re angry, so whatever you do, don’t smile. Oh no! I think I see a smile! Don’t let your mouth smile!” It’s amazing how often this con can be repeated successfully.
The Goofy Parents with a latent theatrical talent find this method quite successful. In it, the parent clowns, makes faces, dances around, sings ridiculous songs, falls down, or performs whatever slapstick antics come to mind. Not only is the child distracted, but she may even laugh at seeing the ordinarily reserved adult acting human (or at least human in the sense that Bozo is human). This technique is especially effective for the parent […]
This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]
Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.
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