Instead, Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids, recommends helping children by suggesting specific words to look for. “You can say to your brother, ‘Move over.’ You can say to your sister, ‘I want a turn.’ Put that word in her mouth,” he said. [1]
Read: Signs of anxiety in children: emotional, behavioral, physical, and how to help
- No thanks
Recently, instead of saying “stop” and “don’t”, parents have started saying “no thank you”. At first glance, this makes sense. After all, they are trying to model kindness for their children. However, Markham says, “No thanks” means “I don’t want it, but thanks for the offer.” But when it’s used to soften a no, it sends a mixed message to kids who don’t understand why their behavior is unacceptable.
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