My child hears ‘no’ and immediately opens negotiations: what about just ten minutes, what about tomorrow, what if a sibling can do it? Sometimes the questions are reasonable, but I'm exhausted by every small decision becoming a debate. I want to allow genuine discussion while making it clear when a decision is final. Have you found language or routines that separate asking once for a reason from arguing indefinitely?
Handling a child who repeatedly negotiates after receiving an answer
- parenting
- handling
- child
- repeatedly
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3 replies
I’ve had luck with one answer, one brief reason, then a repeatable phrase like 'I’m done discussing this for now.' It gives room for a real...
I’ve had luck with one answer, one brief reason, then a repeatable phrase like 'I’m done discussing this for now.' It gives room for a real question without turning into a referendum.
We use 'asked and answered' at my place, mostly because I got tired of negotiating with a tiny lawyer. It sounds a bit stiff, but it saves the rest of the evening.
Same here. If the answer can change later, I say when we’ll revisit it, otherwise I don’t reopen it every five minutes.