My child - like most children - resists any attempt I may make to control her. She will shut down at the first sign of a threatening tone or demanding voice.
Have you used your tone of voice to try and change your child's behavior or to try and control what's happening?
It can even happen without our awareness.
How do you know when your child's emotional needs are languishing?
My daughter can be quick to anger, and her level of reactivity is often my first clue to her current emotional state. Angry kids have unmet needs - and whether those needs are due to a loss of connection, a lack of skill, or a stressed state, they need more from us than just criticism and control.
I often share tips about how to re-frame the way you talk to your kids but what about the way you talk about your kids and the challenges you are having?
Do you post questions in your favorite forums or conscious parenting pages?
How do you describe the conflicts you experience?
He's so needy.
She won't listen.
She's so sensitive.
He's driving me nuts.
She is such a handful.
He'll defy you out of spite.
She is so disrespectful to me.
He tantrums if he doesn't get his way.
These statements lead us down a dead-end road.
