May I Trade With You?

The sixth method of changing unacceptable behavior by changing the environment is:

Substituting One Activity For Another

If a child is playing with a sharp knife, offer her a dull one. If she is bent on examining the contents of your cosmetic drawer, give her some empty bottles or cartons to play with on the floor. If she is about to rip out pages in a magazine you wish to keep, give her one you don't want. If she wants to draw with a crayon on your wallpaper, get her a large piece of wrapping paper to draw on.

Failure to offer a child an alternative before taking something away from her will generally produce frustration and tears. But children frequently accept a substitute without fuss, provided the parent offers it gently and calmly.

Let's trade!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, the seventh method:

Preparing the Child for Changes in the Environment

*An excerpt from Dr. Thomas Gordon's book, PE.T., Parent Effectiveness Training