Powerful 2 word phrases how to#

It's a phrase I learned from my friend, Rachel Macy Stafford, and have used it countless times since. This is a great phrase to keep at the ready for every day, proactive relationship building (which always pays off when times get tough). 'Tell me about your pictureвЂ¦'В works better than 'What a lovely bear!'В (especially when the bear was actually a dog.) 'Tell me about what happenedвЂ¦'В works better than jumping right in with, 'I can't believe you hit her!'В (especially when the hitting was preceded by 2 hours of taunting.) 5. Whether you're trying to understand what's going on in a tiff between friends, or curious about the work going on in a painting or block structure, it's better to ask for the child's input rather than jump to assumptions. Similar to #3, the key to this phrase is not assuming. Then invite the children to help you fill in the rest. Simply start by describing what you see in a completely nonjudgmental way.

And that keeps everyone more open to problem-solving because you're starting from a place of trying to understand, rather than trying to place blame. Stating your observations as you come upon a problem helps to prevent you from placing blame or making assumptions. 'I see two children who both want the same toy.' 'You need to come to lunch, please.' 'I need you to get dressed, please.' 'You need to pick up your toys, please.' 3. Those phrases are great IF we actually mean to give our child those choices. We say things like, 'Are you ready for lunch?'В or 'How about we get you dressed?'В or 'Do you want to pick up your toys?' One of the biggest invitations for power struggles comes when we make our requests sound optional.

At the same time, running away isn't safe.' At the same time, I can't let you hurt other people.'I'm sorry you're upset. This phrase validates both what comes before and after as coexisting. Instead, use the phrase, 'at the same time'. The phrase, 'I love you, butвЂ¦'В or 'I'm sorry, butвЂ¦'В comes off as 'I love you, but not enough,'В or 'I'm sorry, but not really.' Often seen as negating whatever came before, it can create confusion and hurt feelings. Using the word 'but' can complicate already tense conversations. Here are some of my favorite parenting phrases to say when talking to your kids: 1. Words that have already been carefully selected before we lost our minds. I find that in these really challenging moments, it helps for parents to have a few familiar and effective gentle parenting phrases in our back pocket. The pressure is on, we need to вЂњuse our words,' but all we can muster is a non-verbal utterance resembling something like a cross between a growl and a guttural sigh. In challenging situations, our frustration and/or overwhelm seems to bubble over, clouding any cohesive sentence structure we might have put together.

Powerful 2 word phrases how to#

They see the world in a completely different light, and could ask enough questions to fill an afternoon.Д«ut sometimes finding the right words for talking to kids can be really, really challenging.В When choosing how to respond to the marker on the wall, or the seemingly unending why-can't-I battle, or in simply keeping healthy communication open with kids who don't want to talk, the words don't seem to come so easily. They have thoughts about everything and stories for miles.