| Are these things you hear from your child when you | | | | teaching your child how to speak. |
| tell or ask them to do something? | | | | It's not your fault that you're talking that way to them... |
| - No! | | | | You're trying to juggle a million things and get dinner |
| - You can't make me! | | | | ready and make sure that the rice doesn't burn and |
| - I don't want to! | | | | then your kid comes in and wants to go play and you |
| - Go away! | | | | just kind of snap at him without thinking about it. |
| - I won't do it! | | | | I totally get how it happens... |
| Hearing things like this from your little one can have | | | | But when you're dealing with a child who is frequently |
| you feeling embarrassed, sad, angry, and | | | | talking back, as the adult, it's so important that you bring |
| hopeless...Nobody likes to be shouted at and it can be | | | | your attention to your own style of talking to your child. |
| especially painful and irritating to be yelled at by a child. | | | | It's amazing how quickly kids will pick up language and |
| Usually, parents and teachers who are dealing with | | | | words from those around them... especially you as their |
| back talk feel out of control and helpless about | | | | parent or teacher. |
| changing the situation... | | | | So if you want to combat the talking back in your |
| So here's something you can do as the adult to help | | | | home or classroom, start being more mindful of how |
| your child or student start being more respectful | | | | you talk to your child. |
| toward you... | | | | Notice how snapping, "Not right now - dinner's almost |
| It's something totally within your control... | | | | ready," isn't much different than your child saying, "No, |
| It's not a magic pill, but it WILL eventually have the | | | | I'm in the middle of my show" when you ask him to put |
| desired effect that you want. | | | | on his shoes and get ready to go to the store with |
| Here's the scoop... | | | | you. |
| If you want your child to start being more respectful to | | | | Or your student saying, "I don't want to do Circle Time." |
| you, you have to start being more respectful to your | | | | Instead of talking back to your child or student, try to |
| child or student. | | | | connect with him and respond more politely. |
| I'm not talking about giving in to whatever they want | | | | "I know you want to go outside right now. Dinner's |
| and saying yes to everything that they ask for. | | | | almost ready. Let's do something fun after dinner." |
| That's not respecting them... that's just rolling over and | | | | "Yeah, playing outside does sound like fun. Let's wait |
| playing dead! | | | | until after dinner and then we can play outside for 10 |
| What I mean by respecting your child more is for one | | | | minutes." |
| thing, not talking back to THEM. | | | | "I understand that you don't want to do Circle Time |
| So when your child asks if they can go play outside | | | | and you'd rather stay where you are. Will you come sit |
| and you snap back, "Not now - dinner's almost ready," | | | | next to me? |
| that's a form of talking back TO THEM and it's | | | | |