5 NEW Skills to Help Encourage Cooperation
(adapted from How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids will Talk by Faber & Mazlish)

Example: You walk into your bedroom and find your child’s wet towel left on your bed.

OLD Reaction: "Johnny!!! You left your towel on my bed! Didn’t you think about that before you did it? How many times do I have to ask you to pick up after yourself?"

NEW Ways:
These "new" ways benefit the parent and the child by:
     1. Enabling the parent to remain calm and emotionally controlled.
     2. Encouraging the child to learn responsibility of himself.

1. Describe – "There’s a wet towel on the bed" - or -
2. Give Info – "The towel is getting my blanket wet" - or -
3. Say with a word – "The towel!" - or -
4. Describe what you feel – " I don’t like sleeping on a wet bed!" - or -
5. Write a note (above towel rack) – "Please put me back so I can dry. Thanks, The Towel"



Click here to view the Parenting Tip of the Month Archives