How to Win Over Stubborn Children

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43344476/ns/today-parenting/

Every teacher has dealt with a stubborn student. This article gives parents and teachers some ways to take control of the situation without having to yell and still gives the child choices and makes the child feel like they are making the decision. For example, when children have been playing with toys and you would like them to clean up they find another activity to engage in. There are several strategies to help them focus and clean up. Make it a game by setting a timer and see how many toys they can pick up in five minutes. Also, use encouraging words instead of saying, "We will not go to the park if you do not clean up the toys." Instead tell them, "As soon as you clean up your toys, we will go to the park."  The article also gives parents ways to get their children to eat healthy foods, choose their clothes and get to bed on time without all the fussing. This was a very interesting article to read and can help parents and teachers gain control of the situation. It gave me ideas to make clean up time fun.