Bad Kid-Habits and How You Can Fix Them

Whining

TRY: "I can't understand you when you're talking in that whiny voice. Can you ask again in a different way?" (You have to say this at least 10,000 times before it works.) Hold firm with: "I'm sorry you're upset but the answer is still no."

Zela on SXC

Bad Kid-Habit: Screen-obsession

TRY: "Hey kids, new rule: You can only watch TV [say your rules here]." Follow by posting the new rules on the fridge, which will give you the opportunity tosimply point rather than repeat the rule 100x per day.

TIP: Refer to the Tips on the Bad Kid-Habit Whining slide to cope with what happens immediately after you say this and for the 7-10 days that follow.

Annalog85 on SXC

Bad Kid-Habit: Won't Eat Anything

TRY: "If you eat that broccoli, I will cry! I'll do it! No! Don't eat it!" Follow with hysterical pretend-crying. For some reason our children love to watch us sob over veggies.

TIP: You have to really pour on the drama for this to work.

justinhenry on Flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Won't Get Ready

TRY: We put a sticker chart by the door, and give stickers (princesses for our Little Princess, smiley faces for our Prince) every time they are ready at the door by 7:45.

TIP: Give a small prize when the chart has 25 stickers on it. Something small. Like stickers.

merfam on Flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Ignores your requests

TRY: Wait until your child needs something (hungry, thirsty, help with a project) then say, "Sure-could you please just put your clothes in the hamper first? Thanks!"

TIP: Don't repeat requests a million times, because that turns your voice into Background Noise.

Johan Larsson on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Won't Go to Bed

TRY: Routine, routine, routine. After reading 1,000 books about this, routine is the common advice-thread. Figure out the sequence of events that works best for
your family and do their bedtime routine the same way at the same time every night. (If you have a great routine that works, will you post it in the comments?)

TIP: If you can incorporate things you say or sing into the routine every night, that's even better (like singing the same songs in the same order). Remember Pavlov?

Robert Crum on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Sibling fighting

TRY: "Okay you two are not allowed to play with each other for the next 5 minutes. Please find separate things to do." (Follow up with suggestions so they don't just stare helplessly into the middle distance).

TIP: This tends to make siblings unite against you in their desperate desire to play together. Really make them wait it out.

hyperboreal on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Dawdling

TRY: When you need your kids to walk along say "Green Light!" and when you need them to stop say "Red Light!" Add in fun by saying "Purple Light!" and explaining what that means (skipping, hopping, or kids' favorite method of forward-motion: the Gallop).

TIP: This comes in super-handy when kids are about to run too far down the block and you shout RED LIGHT!

bjearwicke on SXC

Bad Kid-Habit: Hitting

TRY: When she gets that "I'm going to hit you" look, prevent her from hitting by saying "no hitting that hurts" and moving out of reach or holding her hands.

TIP: Preventing hitting takes more vigilance but if you can do it, it's easier to correct the behavior rather than reacting once you have been hit and part of you is in parenting mode while part of you is distracted by: "Ow, my eye!"

jmcknight on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Clinging

TRY: Cling back. This sounds crazy but worked for me-I tell my 4 year old "Oh my gosh, you are stuck to my butt! Please hang on! Don't fall off!" She laughs like crazy while I try to get dressed and put my makeup on with her hanging on. After a few minutes she's had enough and lets go.

TIP: Finish your coffee first.

Sarah Serendipity on flickr