One of a parent’s most difficult tasks is how to stop your child from whining. When things don’t go their way, a kid can either throw a tantrum or ruin an adult’s day by pouting and being a sourpuss all day long.
Well, fret not parents! We’ve come up with a list of tricks you can pull out of your sleeve to veer your child away from whining.
How to stop your child from whining
1. Teach them to ask for things politely early on
You need to teach your child to ask for things politely from an early age. This means saying “please” is more effective than whining and wailing. Thank your kid and praise him for doing this well—“Thank you for asking so nicely.”
2. Don’t tell them to “stop whining”
Commands like “Stop whining” are pretty much useless. Instead, you can say, “Sweetie, just ask. You know I don’t like it when you whine.”
3. Teach them to be self-sufficient
Train your child to be self-sufficient—“If you really want something then go and get it if you can.” This will teach them to be independent.
4. Never respond angrily
Never respond in a frustrated or angry tone. Why? Because this is the very behavior you are trying to fix—an adult version of whining.
When your kid starts whining you can whine back teasingly. When your kid sees this, coupled with the absurdity of seeing a parent whining, he will realize that whining is actually a silly thing that gets them nowhere. Reverse psychology, baby!
5. Use your words
Another thing you can do is pretend that the whining is actually coming from a really small animal making a noise—hidden somewhere. Go like” “Hey, did you hear something– that whining noise? Sounds like it is coming from you.
But it can’t be because you know not to whine when you are asking for something. I’m sure you’d say please and ask in a normal voice, so there must be a baby hippo or a puppy in your shirt pocket. Let’s find it.”
Hopefully these tips can help you manage your child better whenever they have a tantrum!
