Crying kids. Seems like such a part of daily life. Whether it be my three-year-old throwing a classic tantrum, one of my twins who has tripped and fallen, or my four-year-old upset for tipping over her milk, my kids are quite happy to bawl their eyes out.
I have to admit that instead of comforting them, my first reaction is to stop them crying. Is it just me or do some kids have a deafening cry? Whew!
Here’s the thing, when I try to console them and tell them I understand how sore their ouchy is, they seem to scream even more.
So, distract, distract, distract.
I find it works every single time. Bring them to the window to look for that imaginary or, if you are lucky enough, real plane flying by. Run outside with your three-year-old and take them on a quick spider hunt. Jiggle your bracelet in front of the screaming toddler to comfort him. 99% of the time, it works!
Then, when they have calmed down you can reason with them and comfort them.
You may find that even as your children get older and hit ages five, six and seven, they can still be distracted.
Distraction also works particularly well for children in danger. Sometimes saying “don’t go there” or “don’t touch it”, makes the child all the more curious. Instead you could give them a toy or activity to engage with or better still, change the scene such as going into another room or outside for a while.
By distracting your child, you may often manage to divert their attention elsewhere, avoiding situations that might have otherwise ended up in difficult behaviour.
Originally posted 2016-11-09 15:00:39.