You come to expect trouble when your two year old is tired and hungry, and there are tactics that quickly develop as a response. For example, when cooperation looks bleak, re-framing the options can make for smoother sailing.
Rather then asking, "ready to get your jacket on?", you are probably better served asking "do you want dad or mom to put your jacket on?". In this way, defiance isn't even put on the table - the young mind is flustered by the decision on the table (mom or dad?) - and hey accept the fate without struggle. This method has worked for many months, and has been the means to avoid many a bumpy road of defiance and tears.
Yesterday Lily was tired and hungry and cooperation looked like a remote possibility. I re-framed the options, and she, for the first time, asked for the unspoken third option - "nobody". Mom, Lily and I all froze for a moment and laughed, at least two of us in recognition that something had changed.
The good thing is that with enhanced reasoning comes better reasoning. We lost a tactic, but there are other, better ways to avoid trouble arriving every day.
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