Can Do

It's my turn to post!
Amy & I attended a great little parenting skills workshop together last year. I have found one of the simple skills we learned to be surprisingly helpful in parenting my 3 year old. It's called "Can Do" - you use it when you see your child doing something you don't want them to do (that never happens, right?) and it is meant to help you guide your child into a more acceptable behavior. It's a great alternative to the more negative "no," "stop," and "don't!" I find myself using too often with my toddler.

These are the steps involved with this skill:
1. Notice what you don't want your child to do.
2. Think of something your child can do instead.
3. Tell your child what he or she can do.
4. Help your child if necessary.

Pretty easy, right? But the trick is not to say"no" or "don't" at all when you use the skill - just calmly guide your child into the more appropriate behavior. The classic example is a child who is coloring on the wall - Tell them they can color on paper instead & get them some paper to help them get started. It gets more difficult in real life situations - but worth a try!