"Because" can be a powerful word!

I picked this up from Chris Thompson's website and wanted to pass it along because it can come in handy with dealing with kids of all ages. If you use this word in the correct manner you can get your kids to follow your instructions a lot easier. The word is "Because".

It goes like this:

1) state your command/request

2) say "because"

3) state any reason.

At this point you might be thinking that I'm crazy, and that this is just too obvious. Believe me when I tell you that it works because I've ready the study that proves it.

The reason that you provide in step 3 does not have to make sense. The word "because" is a funny word that has been proven to affect people. When you hear the word "because", you simply assume that whatever follows it is a valid reason. It is an automatic function of the human brain. Just like you'd automatically pull your hand away from a hot stove top, you are literally programmed to treat "because" as a word that comes before a VALID reason. Therefore you tend to almost outright ignore the reason.

Suppose you have a 8 year old son, Tommy. He hasn't cleaned his room. You can say to him, "Tommy, clean your room because we're going out for dinner later".

What the heck does going out for dinner have to do with cleaning his room? Pretty much nothing. But this tactic works most of the time.

It's amazing how simple this stuff can be! I get a lot of good information like this from www.tipsfortoddlers.info Check it out and have fun with your kids!