Don’t be afraid to get in their face. But, when you are eye to eye and nose to nose, don’t yell or curse. Use your inside voice with a level of intensity that cuts right through to their soul (Whew that felt good). Your behavior sends a strong “I’m too mad to care about your safety right now so you’d better be quiet and listen” message. For those of you with “mouthy” children who always want the last word, I always start with “I am going to ask you a question that requires a yes or no response. If you say anything other than yes or no, there will be significant consequences. Do you understand?” Be prepared with a consequence if they respond with anything other than yes or no. And, don’t play the “Did you hear me game.” You have already given explicit directions and they disobeyed, end of story.
I ain’t scured (scared) if you are over 50
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And what is an equivalent consequence? Are there any consequences if the yes answers should be no?
JR,
I don’t have specific consequences other than to say that the “punishment should fit the Crime.” For example, if your child broke a cell phone rule then the consequence should be communication related.
Hope this helps!