It can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
When we have too much to do we can be very frustrated about the fact that we end up in a debate. When our children are not playing ball, and we are trying to get on with things, if our children try to instigate debate, it’s important to know some of the essential tips and tricks to get out of this. But what is the key to stop debating with your children? Not just now, but for the rest of the time that they are under your roof?
Picking The Right Battles
While “battle” is a very strong term, we still need to differentiate between a debate and argument. We need to pick our times, especially if we’re trying to teach them an important message. A very good example would be tidying up. If we continue to reinforce that our child has to tidy up without giving them a reason why this can prove fruitless. But, it’s vital to know that there are certain facts that can make life easier.
The guide on How to Organize Kids’ Closets could prove useful. But we have to remember with these little daily chores, if we are forever engaged in debating, we have to stop this dead in its tracks. An argument can only occur if we let one happen.
This means that we have to sometimes walk away and let our child feel that they’ve won the battle. But when it comes to something like tidying their room, we can help them to realize the importance of tidying their room, but without us doing it for them.
Pointing Out The Negative Consequences
If we learned that not engaging our children in debating yields positive results, if they still feel the need to “push it” we have to enforce some sense of discipline. The big problem is that many of us don’t feel that we can properly discipline a child. It all depends on how old they are. A very good example when our children are toddling is to introduce something like the naughty step or ask them to go and sit in the corner.
While this isn’t a majorly harsh punishment in the grand scheme of things, it still reinforces the point that if they don’t do something they will get punished. And when we start to point out the negative consequences of not doing something, not just in terms of punishment and how it benefits them, we can work with them to get to the desired end goal.
It’s important that we have to work with our children, not against them. When our children are engaging in debate constantly it can prove frustrating, but we have to remember that as our children grow older, they will find ways to push it. This means that we have to go back to the idea of enforcing discipline and a repercussion if they don’t do something.
But at the same time, working with our children can help get to the root cause. For example, if they say “no” too many times, if there’s a real reason that they are doing this or are they doing it for attention, this can help us nurture the right responses.
