Use these easy hacks the next time you have a battle of the wills on your hands...you may just pull the situation back to your advantage!
Kids. A small package of big noise, destruction and, at times, chaos. Yes, we love the bones of them, and there’s nothing more rewarding than a good day with our little ones: the ones that give us a parenting high. The days where there was no carrying them out of Fair Price surfboard style, and no negotiating with a mini hell raiser sent to test your endurance. But for the days where we’re not entirely (or even remotely) winning, there’s these easy parenting hacks we can try in an attempt to restore a modicum of sanity to a situation…
Pivot
No, we don’t mean actually (although it is kinda fun): this sneaky little hack is the art of saying yes instead of no and distracting a whiney little toe-rag from a defiant meltdown. Such trickery!
Example: Instead of saying, “No, you can’t go in the pool until you’ve tidied up your room,” say, “Yes, we can go to the pool as soon as you’ve tidied your room.”. Same message, different tone, wayyy more likely to result in a compliant child.
Reframe
Not to be confused with reframing that photo you’ve been meaning to put back up for months, we’re talking about reframing in the parenting sense. Engage your child’s imagination in a sneaky ploy to get the kids doing exactly what you want. Incredibly useful in public situations…
Example: Need the kiddos to stand still while waiting for a bus or train? We all know that asking a tot to stay stationary for more than a nanosecond rarely works out in our favour. Reframe it for compliance! Instead of asking them to stand still, ask them to pretend they are statues in a museum or security guards at the bank. Once the imaginations are fired, they’ll be happy to play along with the rules without even realising they are doing so.
Reasoning
We’re all guilty of barking out parenting orders without even realising we’re doing so, but the kiddos certainly catch on. Do’s and don’ts are not relished by willful little people. Orders such as “Get your shoes on,” “Stop that,” and “Hurry up,” lead to frustration and dragged heels: a big ol’ power struggle. But if we help our small people understand why we are asking and give them a solid reason, they *may* just play ball.
Example: Telling them “Because I said so,” is not a valid reason when it comes to a child questioning instructions. Instead try, “Please go and tidy your room now because we have friends coming over later and we don’t want them to think we live like monkeys in a zoo.” Add appropriate monkey noises for effect.
Empathise
It’s safe to say that kids love throwing a tanty over the slightest thing: sigh. But use the empathy hack on your kiddo and you may just pull them out of it before there’s too much drama. If they know you’ve got their back, they might play ball. Or not.
Example: “Darling, I know you don’t want to go to the dentist, and I wish I could do it for you. I understand you’re a little scared, but I also know what a brave little superhero you are .”
You’ve got this parents.
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