Tips to Help You Find Your Child’s Currency and Get Your Child to Obey
Last week I started to notice Brayden was getting a little too attached to the television. He wasn’t getting more TV than usual, but he was desiring it more than usual. I was concerned over this because he was even wanting to watch TV over playing outside, which is an absolute first in his life.
Around the same time, he had a breakdown. He was not obeying well and started crying. I told him he needed to listen to Mommy. I explained that if he did not stop and obey Mommy, he would lose his TV privileges for three days. Three days is a long time, but I was wanting some major detox for him and this opportunity presented itself :). He didn’t stop crying and the TV was not allowed on for three days. He has been good as gold ever since.
I attribute this to a couple of things. One is that the TV can really contribute to behavior problems. All he watches is PBS, but it is easily addictive for him. So less TV is good for him (see this post for more TV thoughts). Another is that since he likes television so much, it is his “currency.” It is something that works well to take away as a privilege if needed.
I have since shortened his daily TV time. As a note, I have discovered one reason he was preferring TV over going outside. Our normal outside time is after lunch. Around here, it has gotten to be too hot right after lunch in the last couple of weeks. So I evaluated the schedule and have changed our outside time to right after breakfast. He is loving it now. That is another post topic all together!
Something to take from this is to know what works for your children when it comes to discipline. Also, don’t be afraid to do what works. If taking a favorite toy away is what works, do it if needed. Everyone has currency.
See these posts for more on discipline:
- Baby Highchair Manners
- Baby-Proofing
- BW II: Freedoms
- Creating a “Good Eater”
- Discipline: Progress is a Spiral
- Discipline Strategy: Surrender with Dignity
- Get To Know Your Child’s Personality
- Hand Folding: Establishing Self-Control
- In Action: “Yes, Mama”
- The “Mini-fit”
- Prevention
- Problem Solving Using Beliefs, Goals, Why, and How
- Tantrums and Discipline
- Tantrums: Stop and Think
- Teaching Your Baby “No”
- The Choice Addiction (for Toddlers)
- Throwing/Dropping Food off of the Tray
- “Yes Mom”
