3 Positive Parenting Tricks to Turn Your Toddlerâs Behavior Around Â

You know the old saying, âYou catch more flies with honey than with vinegarâ? When it comes to correcting annoying toddler behavior, this old adage is spot on! Giving your words and approach a positive twist can be much more effective than telling your toddler to âStop!â or âDonât do that!â over and over again. Here, three positive parenting techniques to try (with plenty of specific examples to get you started!).Â
Turn a negative into a positive.
You can often avoid power struggles with one simple trick: Tell your child what to do, rather than what not to do. Correcting behavior with positive statements makes kids feel more respected. For example: Â
- âChairs are for sittingâ rather than âStop standing on the chair.â
- âSlow down!â versus âDonât run!â
- âKeep the water in the bathtubâ instead of âNo splashing!â
- âYou usually keep your feet off the new sofa, but I guess today you forgot.â
- âIf youâd like to throw something, letâs take your ball outside.â
- âI need you to use your big-girl asking voiceâ rather than âStop whining!âÂ
Be playful.
Another way to keep it positive is to be a little playful. Once you start thinking about how to get your message across effectively, youâll probably come up with dozens more ways that will make your rules seem more like play than like orders.
- 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 whatâs coming next.
- Play a catchy âgetting ready songâ and challenge your child to finish getting dressed before it ends.
- Pretend to clean up as monsters (or dinos or unicorns...or whatever excites your tot), crawling around on all fours and picking up toys with your âbig monster claws" or "sparkly rainbow unicorn hooves!"
Make a fun-demand sandwich.
Sandwich your demands between the mention of two fun activities to soften the blow of doing something that's not-so-fun.
- âLetâs play with your trains. After that ,we can pick up your toys. Then, itâll be time for a snack! What yummy-licious food should we eat for snack today?â
- âLetâs race to the stroller. Then, weâre going to leave the park. When we get home, you can call Grammy!â
- âPick out the PJs you like best. Do you want to wear yellow or green? After that, weâre going to change your diaper. Then, weâll read books. Which bedtime story do you want tonight?â
- âYouâre having so much fun playing with your dolls. In five minutes, itâll be time to take a bath. Then, youâll get to splash with your ducky!â
More positive parenting tips:
- 4 Tips for Effective Limit-Setting
- Boost Cooperation With Win-Win Compromises
- How to Build Your Toddler's Confidence With Easy Wins
- How to Lovingly Stop Toddler Tantrums
- Help Your Toddler Thrive With Special Time
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