Here are 5 foundational steps of getting your kid(s) to be compliant:
1. Relationship, Relationship, and more Relationship.
If you don’t have a fun-loving and enjoyable relationship with your child, then you’re in for a really tough time. The goal is that your child wants to follow your directions, and wants a happy and harmonious home-life and, consequently, is more willing to comply.
2. A calm approach.
If you’re relying on emotion; yelling, fussing, and carrying-on to get your child to comply, then you’re undoubtedly frustrated and annoyed. Instead, no matter how you feel inside, stay calm and unemotional. Your child will perceive you as stronger, more ‘together’, and in-control, all of which will get his or her attention, in a good way.
3. Use as few words as possible.
Pestering will get you nowhere, except to feeling ineffectual and worn-out.
4. Rely on consequences, not pestering.
Instead of using lots of words, rely on firm and consistent consequences. I prefer time-out to the child’s room because it’s easy to implement, time-limited, and effective. However, loss of privilege is also a useful option.
5. Praise, then praise some more.
If you want to see more of something, lavishly praise it.
I hope you find these top 5 to be helpful for you as well. Okay, they’re not exactly “easy” but they can lead to a much easier time with your kids. I imagine you have questions about how to make them work; feel free to email me at jcarosso@cpcwecare.com, and don’t forget to check our helpful videos, which provide helpful insights into all these matters, at appletreeinstitute.com. See you next time.
