© Can Stock Photo / nastia1983
GETTING YOUR KIDS TO TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY
One of the many things I struggle with as a parent, is getting my kids to not only listen, but to take me seriously. So when I say “No you can’t have that”, they actually go “Oh ok, Mum means it”.
Instead, what usually happens is the whining and the begging .. .”Oh but Mum I really want that” or “Can I just have one?” and then inevitably tears.
A lot of this is a rite of passage though – kids have to push the boundaries to know what their limits are. My issue is that I always feel like when I say NO, they think there might be a loophole; a way to get what they want.
So I went on a little internet search, and found a pretty genius way for my kids to take me seriously; and to stop the negotiations that seem to happen every time I say no.
When my kids ask me for something, and I say no; and then they continue to ask, I’m going to say:
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There are five phrases above, and four of them are a thousand percent not mine. I discovered this on the Todays Mama page, and if you’d like to learn more I would suggest clicking HERE and reading the article.
The fifth suggestion is one I currently use. I feel like it’s my “final straw” line to get my kids to stop asking and just listen. Have I followed through with a consequence? Absolutely.
Often my kids ask me for something, and I say YES, and then they continue to ask me a million times. Why do they do this?! Lord only knows … but it gets annoying. So I say “I’ve already said yes, if you ask me again, there will be a consequence”.
Inevitably they ask, and then I just don’t give them what they asked for. Asking a million times is annoying, and the kids have to learn to trust that I’m going to give them what they want.
Using the above phrases will help to bring an end to the conversation and show your child that you mean business. They might not like it, and there may be tears but they will still learn that you mean what you say; and are serious. My kids are still quite young, so it may take a few times for them to understand but I’m excited to try it out.
Do you have a sure-fire way for getting your kids to take you seriously?
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