How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 (The How To Talk Series)

“Seat belt.”

Instead of accusing and interrogating, state the obvious. In the case of the purloined dessert, you can simply say, “I see you ate the cake.” If she protests, don’t call her a liar. Instead, you can accept the feeling behind the protest.

yelled that it isn’t fair, IT JUST ISN’T FAIR!! (These are things he has said to me in the past.) And then the magic happened. I saw it in his face. He sobbed with relief, hugged me as hard as he could, and said, “I love you so much, Mommy!”

The first rule of praise is that it’s not always appropriate to praise. When a child is engaged in an activity, there is no need to disturb her concentration by looming over her and offering unsolicited comments. Give her space!

“Your body isn’t ready to always tell you when your bladder is full. We can try again when you’re a little older, but in the meantime I think we need to replace our printer now.” He was so relieved.

Are you getting the idea that description is more genuine than the old style of praise?

One of the lessons I learned about communicating with my son was to adjust my expectations of how long it should take him to respond.

“Even though you know you don’t need new PJs, it’s still hard to see your brother get a new pair.

make an inanimate object talk.