Parent's Perspective: Presenting kids with a 'choice' when it's not an option
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Many parents are all drowning in choices everyday.
For kids though, this is all a learning experience.
For this week's Parent's Perspective, Heather Abraham has tips to avoid a big mistake that most parents are making with both little and older kids.
What it often comes down to is how choices are presented, because let's face it, sometimes there's not a choice.
Patty Maxwell with Engage Kidz says it's the mistake of asking a child or teenager to do something when we actually 'need' them to do.
Things like 'Are you ready to do your homework?' or 'Can you help me set the table?' can prompt an answer of 'no,' leading to the parent getting mad and then meltdowns ensue.
Maxwell says instead of 'Are you ready to do your homework?,' try phrasing it like 'It's time to do your homework. Would you like to do it at the kitchen table or at the desk?'
She says this also gives your children the power of choice in the thing that they have to do.
Maxwell says you have to think about how you're presenting options and setting clear boundaries when they don't like what's being offered.
Because even with choices, tantrums can still happen.