Do you find yourself spending a lot of time negotiating with your little child? Even if your child knows the rules, he or she will either try to get away with it or meet halfway. At some point, you guys negotiate.
There’s nothing wrong with that. According to author, Scott Brown, negotiating is actually good for the kids.
Scott Brown, author of How To Negotiate With Kids Even If You Think You Shouldn’t, shares his thoughts on pbs.org:
“The negotiation between parents and kids can actually be a great learning experience for your kids. If you don’t negotiate, your children may not learn how to deal with conflicts constructively. If you don’t teach them how to work with you, they may never learn how to work with others.
The challenge is when your little kid starts to throw a tantrum because the negotiation is breaking down. You want to stand your ground but your little kid’s not happy about it … a potential prelude to a tantrum.
What to do you do next? Give in? No! Stand your ground. Try saying these 5 simple lines.
Here are the 5 simple lines that you can say to your child to stop the begging and the tantrum.
1. “Asked and answered.”
2. “I’m done discussing this.”
3. “This conversation is over.”
4. “Don’t bring it up again.”
5. “The decision has been made. If you ask again there will be a consequence.”
You have to remember that these are lines you have to say when you’re tempted to give in. It’s that moment when you hear your child say, “Pretty please’ and you see those pleading eyes about to burst into tears.
Even if you’re dog-tired from work, stand your ground and bravely utter one of the lines mentioned above to make a blatant point. By doing so:
Your child will eventually realize nothing changes your mind. This is how you will earn your child’s respect and set up a relationship where your child accepts your decisions the first time.
Don’t forget: their best friend, Timeout, is only a few short steps away.
Don’t expect to say those lines perfectly at the start. It takes a lot of practice to perfect it but you can do it.
This entertaining and great article on popsugar.com will help you perfect the art of saying the 5 lines to your child. The article even cites some scenarios that can be pretty helpful to you at the start. You can check out the scenarios and read the full article here.
Do you think these lines can help you stop your kids from begging and having a meltdown?
