What to do when they just say 'No!'
What to do when they just say 'No!'
My 33 months old girl recently (since about a month ago) said no to everything. Shower, nappy change, brushing teeth, etc. I really struggled with nappy change especially if it's a dirty nappy. I let her cry and yell and not give anything she wants until she wants to change her nappy. It's been 2 hours and she still cries and screams with the dirty nappy still on. Any suggestions? Thanks
I would suggest supporting her to have some 'control' in the nappy changes, for example grabbing a clean nappy and choosing where she wants to be changed (a wet nappy can at times be changed with children standing up). She could even be the one to take off her pants, unfasten the nappy, hold the nappy cream etc. If you start this process with just a wet nappy to begin with, she may begin to see herself as a partner in the process, and that the nappy change is being done with her as opposed to ... to her, and may begin to enjoy the process more.
Sometimes considering our wording as parents is helpful too - especially with toddlers. A wet nappy doesn't need to be changed immediately, so we could place a suggestion such as: "Would you like to have your wet nappy changed now, or after you have finished playing with that toy?" This presents a choice. For a dirty nappy we can still give choices such as: "Would you like to walk to have your dirty nappy changed, or would you like me to carry you?" - the nappy is still being changed and we are clear about that, but there is still a choice as to how she gets to the nappy change area.
Other questions about this topic
Is time-out okay for kids?
I’ve always understood that time-out was a reasonable way to deal with behaviour issues. Now I’m seeing some articles suggesting that time-out has had its day. Is time-out OK and if not, what’s the alternative?
Learning to follow directions
I have a 3.5-year-old who won’t listen to anything. We both just end up getting upset. I'm concerned that she will face problems in preschool if she won’t start following directions.
Help! My child is biting other children
I’m so embarrassed but my child care provider called me in to say my two-year-old has been biting other children. I hate to think what the other parents must be thinking. What do I do?
Preparing a toddler for a new baby
My toddler isn’t happy about the arrival of our second child. How do I prepare my child for the birth a new baby?
4-yr-old throwing tantrums
I have a four year old daughter, and the tantrums are worse now than they were in the ‘terrible twos’. She seems to fluctuate from happiness to meltdown so quickly and sometimes it seems that no amount of effort from us helps. Is this normal? I thought she’d be growing out of this by now.