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30 Times Parents Used Reverse Psychology And It Totally Worked On These Clueless Kids
Interview With Author
“Don’t read this article!” If I were to tell you that there’s nothing to see here and that you should move along, your curiosity would be piqued, wouldn’t it? You’d actually be more likely to have a read because it sounds like there’s something sus going on, right? Welcome to the vast world of reverse psychology where you encourage people to do what you want by telling them to do the polar opposite.
Oh, reverse psychology isn’t some magical technique that works all the time: it can easily backfire and it shouldn’t be your first choice of action. However, when it does work, the results can be spectacular. And that’s exactly what the parents of Reddit shared in a viral thread started up by user LeanderD, who was curious about the times that reverse psychology actually worked on munchkins. The thread was so successful that it ended up being reposted on other subreddits besides r/AskReddit.
Have a read through some of the most fascinating parenting tales, upvote the ones that you thought were the most imaginative, and let us know if they’ve inspired you to try a different approach to parenting when nothing else seems to work.
Bored Panda had a chat with Leander Digerud, aka the author of the viral thread redditor LeanderD, about the interesting inspiration behind the question as well as their thoughts on reverse psychology. You'll find their insights below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Took my 3 year old son to one of those doctor's visits where he was going to get a shot. He was worried about the shot on the whole drive over, almost to the point of tears. We get to the doctor's office and a nurse subtly lets me know that my son is not just scheduled for 1 shot, but 5 of them in the same visit.
I turn to my son with an exaggerated smile and tell him, "Good news! They figured out how to take that one big shot you were going to get and instead break it up into these 5 little tiny shots so it won't hurt nearly as much!"
You could see the relief wash over his face. He stopped squirming and relaxed completely. He took the first shot and even smiled and said "It's true! The small ones don't hurt!"
We actually made it through the third shot before the effect wore off and reality kicked in. Still... I counted it as a victory.
Kay blue 4 years ago
The nurse who did one of my daughter's jabs asked her if she could see the bee, then did the jab and said oh did the bee sting you. Totally the wrong thing to say as my daughter is still afraid of bees at age 20+.
Mir Adwari 4 years ago
Yeah, that's an odd one. I've been stung several times by bees and wasps and am still not afraid of them because my mother made them out to be stripy or furry little friends.
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Alethia Nyx 4 years ago
What kind of nasty doctor would give a child 5 injections in 1 day?!?! When I was a kid they wouldn't do more than 3 at once!! That doctor is a terrible doctor.
Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 4 years ago
I got 4 in a day, along with TDAP which if you didnt know is a tiny grenade feels like and I was 12 years old, and I cried so badly, worse than any other shot. So 5 is a DAY is just cruel!
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Paul Mitchell 4 years ago
I told my son n that he would get a Thomas the Tank engine if he didn't cry when he had his vaccination injection. He was delighted when he was told it was two injections, so he got Thomas and one of his friends.
Derek Clark 4 years ago
So you're teaching him that he's not allowed to cry when something hurts him or scares him and then you reward your negativity with a present.
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Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
My son needs a blood test but any mention of needless and he freaks out. Its gonna be a fun day.
RELATED:
#2
My mum had a friend that would put vegetables on her own plate and not the kids.
When the kids asked she would be reluctant to share, "that's grown up food. But I suppose I can let you have a little."
Her kids grew up loving vegetables.
I sat at the dinner table for 3 hours staring at the yucky cauliflower I refused to eat.
Shelp 4 years ago
Very smart, although I've never understood why some children hate vegetables. I loved them as a kid.
Lance d'Boyle 4 years ago
My kids never had a problem eating veggies because we never made a bid deal out of them . We never said 'no dessert until you eat your peas' or made it seem like veggies were different from other food. It's food on the plate and they need to eat what's provided: we are not a 'restaurant' home catering to whims and cravings. Kids pick up on subtle intonations and clues that veggies and fruit are 'what you're suppose to eat but not what people like' . Mind your signals.
Leslie Burleson 4 years ago
My husband's parents did this. I would've never fallen for that . Luckily my kids like veggies
#3
When I was a kid I refused to get up in the morning. My mom said we were going to trick my dad into thinking I was still asleep. So she made me put on clothes and then hide under the covers and pretend to be asleep. Then my dad would come in to wake me up and I would "fool" him because I was already dressed and ready. This worked on me for years and I never questioned it. In hindsight it's pretty obvious that my parents just wanted me to get dressed without a fuss.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Maybe I should make my hubby go to work late to try this lol.
There’s a bit of an ethical question attached to the use of reverse psychology. Specifically that it can be a way to manipulate people. While it can sometimes work wonders when nothing else does (try convincing your kid to eat their veggies), it should only be used sparingly.
After all, if someone’s constantly tricking you, then the foundation of your relationship is built on beach sand as the tide’s rolling in, not solid bedrock. What’s more, if used too often or incorrectly, reverse psychology could erode your kid’s self-esteem or even make them feel guilty.
According to LeanderD, they had no idea that their question would go viral; however, they had hopes that they'd catch everyone's attention. "I think it's really cool that it has gotten the popularity it has. I didn't expect it, although I had posted some other questions prior on r/AskReddit that I kinda hoped would go on the front page. I posted some things in the hopes of one going viral but I didn't think that question, in particular, would," they told Bored Panda that it was an unexpected surprise.
#4
One of my best friends through childhood used to be punished with no salad if she missbehaved. She cherishes salad now and would always try to eat as much as possible during school lunch. Coincidentally, her now husband used to be punished with no books, it had the same effect. I think it's hilarious that they'd be hitting the salad bar and library like some black market their narc parents couldn't reach hahaha.
lenka 4 years ago
We punish our kids with no books. Taking away thier bedtime story or 'extra' reading time is the single worst punishment imaginable, and trips to the library and the second hand book market are rewards for good behaviour. It's one of the few things we are getting right on this parenting gig 😂
POLARBEARLUVER 4 years ago
i would actually hate the no books rule, books are the one thing im addicted to
Fact Perils 4 years ago
Exactly. I would get in trouble for reading at night, meanwhile here on boredpanda you see posts about how kids don't notice that their flashlight never runs out of batteries and stuff like that. Makes me jealous ngl
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Axolotl King 4 years ago
I got a no books punishment once. Granted that was because I loved reading and ended up accidentally breaking my sisters wrist over a book once....
Helen Haley 4 years ago
My mom grounded me from books. But my love of books came first. It was one of the few punishments for me that carried weight.
sylvanticx 4 years ago
i've always loved books, so for the most serious of crimes it's no computer no books cause you can punish me in any way as long as i have my books but you take away my books? that's a punishment that i won't like
#5
Not reverse psychology exactly, but when my first son was about 4 he would often burst into our bedroom way too early in the morning, full of energy. It was up to me to either get up and engage with him or send him off on some mission so as to grab a few more precious minutes of shut-eye.
One I'm proud of was telling him to find out which of his legs could run the fastest. He was charging around the corridor for ages doing a kind of manic goose-step before he came back in panting that they were both the same.
Two_rolling_black_eyes 4 years ago
My dad used to do a version of this. He would time me to see how fast I could run around something (house, a tree, etc). He would then tell me a time and I would try and break it. In first grade he was busted when we started to learn how to tell time and I noticed he wasn't using his watch. His solution - he bought me a super-cheap digital watch that looked like I was wearing a shield on my arm and would ask me how long it took.
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
This is how my older neighbour gets rid of her husband when they're grocery shopping, by sending him on errands in the store.Othereise, he'd start arguments about buying stuff they'd never eat.
#6
I don't so much know if you would call it reverse psychology, but I didn't realise it until my dad told me this.
When there were chores that needed doing, he noticed if he asked me to mow the lawn, I would complain and procrastinate. But if he asked would I rather mow the lawn or wash the windows, I'd pick one and just get it done.
Shattered my brain when he told me when I was in my twenties. I use it when I'm coaching or baby sitting all the time and it almost never fails.
Dolevaal 4 years ago
Yep. Its a way to tell them that they are important. And they are.
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Carol Emory 4 years ago
T. Berry Brazelton said that this was the best way to get compliance out of children. A mom was having a hard time getting her kid to work with her on getting ready in the morning. She'd openly ask what he wanted for breakfast. He'd say waffles or pancakes, neither of which she could do in a short time. She would say no, he would melt down and it was bickering and fighting the rest of the morning. So she was told to, instead, ask him specifically "Do you want cereal or toast?" He would decide on one making him the controller of the decision. Given choices, the child was able to have some say in his morning and things went more smoothly.
Royer Potts 4 years ago
I tried this, my son said “neither”, and walked off. He won that round.
Rider 4 years ago
I have do something similar. I had my kids figure out the chore schedule. They decided they wanted to option to do chores over 2 days and didn't want me to hound them, said sure no problem how about thrusday and friday. But if you don't do them on your own by dinner on friday, saturday they do their regular chore plus an extra. I'm running out of extra chores.
Generally, it’s a better idea to use positive reverse psychology instead of its negative form. For example, you should steer clear of risky tactics like telling your child that they probably can’t do any better if their grades are slipping or if they’re not successful in some sort of project. While some kids would be inspired to try even harder, others might actually think that you don’t believe in them.
The author of the question joked that getting a viral Reddit post hasn't much changed their life, though some of their friends "thought it was cool."
Redditor LeanderD puts a lot of thought into the questions they post on the site. "I tried to find these questions that had the potential to go viral. I also wanted a question that gave some funny stories as replies. The kind of replies you read and think, 'Kids are som dumb and cute.'"
#7
Dad, and certified foster parent here. Best trick I learned: Give kids choices. Would you like water or apple juice? Would you prefer to read or make up your room? This way, you guide them, but it is their choice. Always give them option A or B. Maybe change B for C if they argue. But be firm, if they don’t choose, then you tell them you will make a decision for them. At the end, they will choose, and will feel a commitment to their choice.
Barbara Vandewalle 4 years ago
I would tell my daughter she could have A cookie, before dinner. I want two cookies. ME, you can have none or one.
brandon sat 4 years ago
coming from a parent that uses this on my girls. its not always a good tactic. because they start to incorporate their own choice which usually doesnt have anything to do with my options for them...and it can be frustrating.
Violet Smith 4 years ago
This is essentially the same as #6. It's good for young kids to only give 2 choices, less overwhelming.
Mark Kelly 4 years ago
Did you drink my water. Do something like you can have apple juice if you have a glass of water also.
#8
I used to tell my little toddlers that if they were fibbing, a black dot would appear on their tongue to their mother. So if I suspected a lie, I'd just say, "Stick out your tongue". If they kept tight lipped, I knew I was right. They are teenagers now and laugh about how they fell for this for YEARS.
Kirsten Verbeek 4 years ago
This reminds me of a parent that told their kids they made a buzzing sound when they slept. The kids made a buzzing noise now when they pretended to be asleep so they could catch them easily, haha
Lyn Moffett 4 years ago
My youngest daughter still does this with her children. One time her eldest boy almost got into trouble at school for putting his tongue out at the teacher when some mishap or other happened and she said Josh why are you sticking your tongue out at me and his reply was I'm not telling lies Miss. she was completely baffled until my daughter explained that she told her son if he tells a lie his tongue would go black. Her daughter still does it to this day hahaha.
Frank Smith 4 years ago
Funny my parents told us our noses would get soft if we lied. They new when we wre liying when we would cover our noses.
Elly Clifton 4 years ago
Did you get a black dot on your tongue too, for fibbing to them? ha ha
J 4 years ago
I did this with my kids (it was a red spot though) and it worked while they were younger. As they got older, another good one was "I got a call from your teacher today, do you have anything to tell me?". As long as I didn't pull this one too often, they would inevitably tell me of something that happened in school :)
Carole Hamilton 4 years ago
When my son was 14, he wanted to go out and stand on the street corner with his friends. His father said 'no way!', but I said, hang on, we should let him go out and we will drive him to the spot and drop him, but if he goes anywhere else he has to call and let us know. I did this because it was November, cold and nasty weather. He went and came home - never went again. But he would have been aggrieved if we hadn't let him go. Solved a problem
#9
Child here, but still a great example .Once when my parents were having a party, I got a bad case of hiccups. After a while my dad whipped out his wallet and pulled out a $100 bill. I was probably 12 so that was a fortune to me. He said if I hiccuped again I could have the money. Standing there, a ton of adult eyes watching to see if I'd do it, and not a single hiccup came out. I was cured and pissed.
Axolotl King 4 years ago
Oh so one time I had the hiccups and my grandpa (as a joke) told me I should look in the mirror to scare myself. So me (knowing it was a joke btw and just playing along) went and looked in the mirror. Hiccups cured. (Also I have a fear of mirrors now but it's unrelated to that incident and at that time I didn't have the fear)
Robert Robi Z 4 years ago
This really is true - if you try to force yourself to hiccup between two real ones, it will stop
Instead of opting for psychological negativity that could make even a grown adult lose motivation, you could offer your child a choice. For example, say that your kid doesn’t want to take a bath: you could say that bath time is over and that it’s time for bed. This empowers your kid to choose what to do and they might even decide that bath time is way more fun than sleepy time.
Meanwhile, the author of the thread told us a bit more about how they came up with it. The inspiration behind the question about reverse psychology is, surprisingly, a series of kids' books that many of you Pandas may have read (me included). "I remembered I read a 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' many years ago and remembered it mentioned reverse psychology there. I remembered it being funny at the time so it kinda stuck to me. I think it was something about his parents saying he could never do the dishes. So they repeated that many times until he practically begged to do the dishes. And on his birthday he got that as a present from his parents," the redditor explained.
#10
I work with toddlers and sometimes if they fall down or get "hurt" then I'll clap and cheer and tell them wow that was so cool. They smile and get up instead of crying and continue playing. I only do this when they fall and pause thinking if they should cry or not
readingthequibbler 4 years ago
Mine would just say boom and laugh. It worked
Load More Replies... Frank Smith 4 years ago
Along the same lines.... I kept telling my kids to check if they broke the floor or the wall when they fell or bumped into something. Like you it distracted them long enough to get them past the usually minor incident. One day there was running feet and a large thud..... My son walked sheepishly into the room with a welt on his head saying he was sorry but he broke the wall this time.
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
My father used on me and my brother the same trick his mother used on him and his siblings: If someone fell down, the adult said, "Hey - look what you did to the floor!" Or whatever someone fell on. That distracted us from the hurt. I'm sure neither Dad nor Gramma would have used that upon seeing blood, though.
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Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago (edited)
I would just say "oops, that looked like it hurt, do you need a hug? " and sometimes they did but most of the time they just said "I'm ok" and went back to playing. No tricks, letting them self evaluate, and that it's ok to cry sometimes. (I always made them come to me, also, so that they would really have to evaluate if it was worth the play interruption heh)
Heather W 4 years ago
I always yelled "Tada!' when my daughter fell down. 80% of the time she was fine. I just apologized the other 20%. When she was a teen one day she slipped and almost fell into the splits. I could tell it hurt. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and whimpered "Tada?" I was so proud lol
Axolotl King 4 years ago
I have a toddler brother and My sister and I agreed that if he "buffers" he's okay. Because when he pauses it usually means it scared him more than hurt him, but if he cries immediately he's more likely to be actually hurt.
#11
My son was really impulsive when he was little and would try to run away from me when we would be crossing streets instead of holding my hand. So I started to tell him that he needed to hold my hand so nobody would try to steal me. It worked. He felt responsible for making sure nobody tried to kidnap me out in public.
KatHat 4 years ago
Having a child constantly afraid his parent is in danger of kidnapping does NOT sound like a great solution.
Silre 4 years ago
That would have given me severe anxiety and would have surgically grafted myself to my mother.
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Demi Zwaan 4 years ago
Sounds nice on the surface, but that kid learned way too early that something bad could happen to his mom and that it would be his fault. I'm not sure that's healthy.
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago (edited)
I told my son people are looking for parking spaces, not small children when driving around a parking lot. He understood, would get out of the car, usually with help, then stand up, put his hand in the air and shout, "Hand!" Adults who didn't understand would get a mini lecture. I also told him car seats and seat belts are not my rules, it is a police rule. So we talked to a police man. Amoung other things he explained how tickets, moving violations, work. The money and possibly of losing my driver's licence. The topic never came up again. Kids can handle the truth.
ChinmayGhule 4 years ago
Well I too was impulsive once. Me, my Dad and my cousin were strolling on the roadside in the evening and suddenly I, who might be 10 or less felt like running to and fro one end of the road to the other. (Really a stupid thing to do.) While returning a car almost crashed into me but the driver thankfully stopped it. After that my Dad beat the s**t out of me.
Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I'm not convinced that putting that weight of responsibility on a small child is anything but unhealthy. Moreover why the hell would you teach a small child that the world is so terrifying and unpredictable that someone could steal your mum away at the drop of a hat?
Neha 4 years ago
y'all are exaggerating a bit too much. My mom used to do something similar when i was little and we would be traveling by a rickshaw. i would refuse to hold her hand because i was a big girl and did not want to hold my moms hands and could've easily been thrown off from it due to the traffic and crappy roads. Her solution was to say that she might fall off and i needed to hold onto her. this has in no way affected me, since i don't even remember it. Though mom does say i took the job of holding her very seriously so that she won't fall :D:D
Mindy Keys 4 years ago
Our little one always insists on holding my hand to make sure I get across the street safely. I told her once that she was in charge of keeping me from being a dope and walking into traffic, and she takes her job very seriously.
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
Not the best message, your safety is not their responsibility
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H Edwards 4 years ago
James James // Morrison Morrison // Weatherby George Dupree // Took great // Care of his Mother, // Though he was only three. // James James Said to his Mother, // "Mother," he said, said he; // "You must never go down // to the end of the town, // if you don't go down with me."
#12
My dad used to say that when the ice cream truck was playing music it meant he had run out of ice cream.
Wait, that's not reverse psychology. THAT'S JUST LYING, DAD.
Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I keep hearing of people claiming their parents said this but I just don't believe it. You only have to see people out buying ice creams once, or eating one as they walk past your house, or mention it your friends, and the lie is undone
Claire Genie 4 years ago
You didn't look as too disappointed at missing out
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Uncommon Boston 4 years ago (edited)
Once kids figure out it is a lie, they no longer trust you. In the future, how do they know when you are lying?
Lynn Morello 4 years ago
That didn't work on us as we saw all the other kids walking away with ice-cream
Violet Smith 4 years ago
That is the most sedate, drab, boring-looking ice-cream truck in the world...
"In my opinion, reverse psychology is so helpful because it makes you think you want to do those things. It is like the opposite of when you are about to go out with the trash bin and then right before, your mom asks you to do it. You suddenly don't want to do it anymore," LeanderD mentioned a situation that plenty of us have been in where somebody telling us that we _have to_ do something that we were going to do anyway makes us want to rebel.
However, LeanderD thinks that reverse psychology has its limits. "Its not like if my parents says, 'Don't clean the whole house today,' I will start cleaning the whole house right away," they pointed out that it's not a superpower (even though some parents might with that it was).
"I think it's a funny trick you can have in the back of your mind, and use it sometimes, but don't overuse it. I also think it works better on children than adults," the redditor added that adults aren't as easily tricked because they have far more life experience.
#13
"I bet you can't..."
Both of them HATE the assertion that they're not capable of doing something.
"Can you put your toys away?" will almost certainly garner a hard NO, but "I bet you can't put all those toys back in the box, no way you'll be able to" will have them whizzing round tidying like demons, followed by a very indignant "see, I told you I could!". Cue fake surprise from me.
They're only 4 and 7, so I know this has got limited time, but so far works like a charm every time.
Joley Hidaka 4 years ago
You can have them race - and you doing commentary in the corner "Tom is in the lead, Jared comes up from behind...' etc. and then yay we all win
Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago
I do this for my kids, 5 & 8. Works best on my 8yo. I do timing and sometimes "see who can do it faster/more/etc" or "I bet 5yo can pick up all the horses before 8yo can pick up all the Legos"
Ayia Grace 4 years ago
Or say, "I KNOW I can -action they need to get done- before you." Use "clean your room", I did this when I babysat and I would clean up the kitchen, as slow as I could knowing there were 2 children rushing to clean the toy room.
Catherine Spencer-Mills 4 years ago
Not reverse psych, but I only had to do it once. Third time asking 6 and 3 year olds to put stuff away in their room. Or I would do it myself. Next time brought the broom and a huge yard waste bag. Started sweeping - What are you doing? Cleaning your room. But what will we play with? What will we wear? Oh, I'm sure you'll figure something out. Room was picked up in seconds. Never had to do that again, even when they were teens. For the record, I was serious. If they hadn't got busy, I would have swept up the mess and tossed it. Figured we could replace at garage sales.
Axolotl King 4 years ago
Yup we do that to my toddler brother. Except most of time now he'll just say "no"
Leslie Burleson 4 years ago
After they stop falling for it , tell them to race for a dollar or candy
Leslie Burleson 4 years ago
I always gave them both the prize , but they still kept competing
Load More Replies... #14
As a former kid, the best reversal my mom ever did was to get me to eat liver. Which I hated. So she came up with this dish called Revil. With onions. And served it. And I wolfed it down glad to not have to eat liver. It took me years. YEARS! to realize what was going on. Not because I was dumb. But I never expected to be fooled on this and not in such a cheap, underhanded way. Spell it backwards? All you did was rename it? And it WORKED? Mom! Dammit. RIP Mom. I still make my own Revil now and then just to reminisce.
Alethia Nyx 4 years ago
My cousin hated zucchini, so once when he asked what the (zucchini) soup was at our great aunt and uncles before anyone else could tell him, my mum said it was courgette soup. The courgette soup was delicious. Renaming stuff works a treat.
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
My mom (RIP) and I absolutely love liver and onions. Sauteed in butter and maybe even a little A1 with it.
Elly Clifton 4 years ago
We called pumpkin soup, orange soup, for the same reason. They mentally couldn't get past the idea of pumpkin, but they loved orange soup
Jenný Samúelsdóttir Herlufsen 4 years ago
Once, when my mom cooked it, I had a taste without knowing what kind of meat it was. I felt the weird texture, the bloody taste and when she told me, the full weight of eating organs, hit me like a bolt of lighting. Never been able to even smell it since.
Violet Smith 4 years ago
It's all in the branding.My friend's husband won't eat "cabbage rolls" but he'll happily scarf down "hamburger casserole." I do this with my husband now - rather than say we're having "stir-fry" I'll call it "Chinese food" and he lights up. He also hates the word "lentil' (though not lentils themselves) so I jokingly call them "happy beans."
#15
My dad used to play a game to see who could match and fold the most laundry he never once won.
Frank Smith 4 years ago
At bed time the kids and I would always race up stairs to see who would win. Sometime I would start quitely by sneaking out of the room suspiciously othertimes I would count it down. Eight years and I lost every race but they never once clued in that it was just a way to get them upstairs quickly.
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
Sounds like your dad is familiar with the story of Tom Sawyer and painting a fence.
Nikki Angulo 4 years ago
I’ve done something similar with kindergarten and gr1/2 students who don’t want to go outside in winter, or who are just pokey, we race to see which of us can get ready they fastest. Or if I’m not going out, then I count down from ‘ten’ to see how ‘fast’ they can do it. The length of time it take to count down from ten varies by day.
You could even use reverse psychology as a friendly challenge, like saying that you bet you could finish the greens on your plate faster than your child can. It’s fun, it’s a way to bond, and it might just get your munchkin to start munching healthier food items. Just remember that with great power comes great responsibility. And reverse psychology is a double-edged sword that should be used sparingly if at all.
#16
It seemed like the minute my son realized he was going through puberty, he developed a need to show everyone how strong he was, usually by carrying things. Now, my son was a rather small, wiry, hyperkinetic kid - not at all a football player or weightlifter type. Yet I noticed starting when he was around 13 that if something heavy or heavy-ish needed moving, he was always right there, with a need to show he could do it.
I took full advantage. I don't think I lifted anything heavier than my purse until he moved out. All I had to do was mention that I was going to put X in Y place (put the suitcases in the car for vacation, carry that gigantic load of laundry upstairs, etc.), and pretend like it was too heavy for me and he would appear as if summoned from the universe to do it for me. The reverse psychology aspect was my saying "Oh my! That looks heavy!" and him proving to me that "No it's not!"
Hotdogking 4 years ago
I just realised that my mum has been doing the same with me but with height for YEARS as well. We teens really are arrogant
Violet Smith 4 years ago
I did this in one workplace. We did a lot of lifting, ladders etc, but now and then there was something that was just too much. So I'd go over to another department where there were several men and say "I need a strong man to lift something" and they would all jump at the chance. Male pride?
#17
"No, you cannot take this after school science extra curricular activity. They have robots, lasers, explosions, and other dangerous stuff like that".
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
On stuff like that, I never even asked. I just signed up and told Mom & Dad later! :)
#18
Hi I was a victim,
There was a forbidden book that I was not allow to read on the shelf. My parents said I could only read it if I behave myself.
It was summer holidays and I was playing games all day (after 6 hrs of summer homework). One day I was home alone and had the opportunity to grabbed it. I read like half of it in one go. It was 5000 years of Chinese history.
Safe to say I was bamboozled.
Bardhi's Dad 4 years ago
I would do the same. Also, I would read that book even if I wasn't told it's forbidden. And I have to found it 🙂
Robert Robi Z 4 years ago
Summer homework!? Why would anybody do something like that to a student!?
#19
I don't know if it was truly reverse psychology, or an exhausted response out of desperation... We were in line at the grocery store checking out. Kid was three, and the meltdown started, and quickly became an on the floor tantrum. I looked down and said, louder than normal, but not yelling, "Where is your mother? We need to find your mom!" She was startled, because i am her mom, and confused. But the tantrum ended quickly, and with hugs.
Kay blue 4 years ago
Someone I knew would lie down in the supermarket next to their child, child was so embarrassed that the tantrum stopped.
Curry on... 4 years ago
My son did this ONCE. At first I was shocked and just stood there looking at him. Then I walked away, and peeked at him from a spot where he couldn't see me. No audience, no tantrum.
Lisa Shelton 4 years ago
Thankfully it never came to that with either of mine. The oldest tried to throw a tantrum once, it was at home and his father and I just stepped over him while going about our business. He gave up after about five minutes. My youngest is too outgoing to waste his precious time meeting people with throwing a fit. He's too busy 'making friends'.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
My kids knew better, but my niece was an overly indulged spoiled f*****g brat. I was babysitting for the weekend and took her to Target. She started having a meltdown because I wouldn't buy her a $75 toy. I literally just pulled her out of the cart and left the store. I opened the back door of the car, put her inside & shut the door. All without saying a word. She sat there screaming and kicking for about 5 minutes (which is an ETERNITY in that situation). I completely ignored her. When she finally stopped, I opened the door and asked her, "You done?" She was. We went back into the store and I finished shopping. She was allowed a .50 lollipop and she never tried pulling that bullshit on me again.
Barbara Vandewalle 4 years ago
I would slowly walk away, keep an eye on child. The tantrum stopped when she looked and saw I was not watching.
Catherine Spencer-Mills 4 years ago
One of my sons had temper tantrums. Started at age 6 months. Finally stopped at home at about 3 years. But not in public. At the grocery store, no, I am not buying frosted sugar bombs cereal. Down on the floor. Boy, you sure do look silly. Worked once. Second time, same and I started walking away. Made it two steps down the aisle. Third time - yeah, he was really that stubborn - made it clear around the end of the aisle out of sight. I'm kind of worried and listen carefully. Crying stops and he runs to me- you're going to leave me! Well, no, I would come for you after I finished shopping. I would never leave you. He never threw a tantrum at a store again.
#20
I substitute teach sometimes, and if I get word ahead of time that the class is rowdy, I'll pretend I lost my voice. I write stuff down on a mini whiteboard, type on a screen. The students see that I need their help and they're a little easier to deal with. Facial expressions and gestures end up creating a naturally quiet environment. Always fun to surprise the kids at the end when I speak lol.
Ron Santos 4 years ago
Seems like a one time thing if you ‘fess up at the end of the day. They’ll never believe you again and they’ll tell all their friends about the trick.
Axolotl King 4 years ago
But if you sub at different schools you can use it multiple times, and if you sub in different grades it might still work. Also depends on how often the sub subs at a certain school. If they're a very popular sub at a certain school it's unlikely to work, but if they're not very popular and the friends don't tell the other the name of the sub because they don't really care it could work more often.
Load More Replies... Alethia Nyx 4 years ago
I dunno about this, I had some absolute little terrors in my classes over the years. kids who this trick would have made them behave worse because they'd think they could get away with it.
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
I would write WORLD'S MEANEST TEACHER on the board, then say nothing. When asked to do something they didn't like, they would tell me I was mean. I would run to the board and point to what I wrote. "YES!" They realized I didn't care if they thought I was mean, the work would get done
Robert Robi Z 4 years ago
In my school a teacher really went hoarse and she couldn't speak in class, the students just ignorred her and continued raving around
#21
My child was reluctant when it came to putting away toys. However he loves timed tasks and is very competitive. I’d instruct my child to Put away all the red toys as fast as possible. Then blue. Then green, etc. Toys away.
Stephanie IV 4 years ago
That’s really, really great! I love the simplicity of this! And it’s fun.
#22
Do you want your dinner now or in ten minutes - the illusion of choice.
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
The government still uses this. "Do you want to file your taxes now or rather wait till the last day? "
ChinmayGhule 4 years ago
Many people think they'll pay later, and then they have to pay fine cause the last day has passed.
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#23
I learned this thing called "The Ok trick" while working in a call center. You ask someone a question, and follow it up with "Ok." People tent to respond to a positive with a positive, so calls would go like this:
Me: Well, we'll have to terminate this account then have you reopen one to add your card back in, ok?
Customer: Ummm, ok.
Found out that this works super well on children.
Me: Hey bud, five more minutes and then it's time for bed, ok?
Bud: Uhhh, ok.
Ron Santos 4 years ago
Doesn’t work when your kid has a ‘precocious vocabulary’ and sees through the subtext. Me:How about five more minutes then we go take a bath and get ready for bed? 2y.o. enjoying being at the lake with his cousins: How about No.
Guido Pisano 4 years ago
learnt that is better advise in time than let them know that time is over
#24
My parents always told me my broccoli were the flowers of the queen and that I really shouldnt eat them, or else the queen would get very upset! I, ofcourse, ate the whole brocolli in a few seconds.
Shelp 4 years ago
As a kid I loved broccoli. Never understood why so many children seem to hate it, except for a cultural thing.
Dave P 4 years ago
because most parents boil them which ruins the taste and texture. When you roast with seasoning, it gives a flavor kids like. Boiling is to be used only when making a mashed broccoli dish like a quiche.
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Dahungryfella 4 years ago
You revolutionary rebel you!! How dare you eat the queens Broccoli!!
Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago (edited)
I hated broccoli, but ate it for a few years anyway because I liked to pretend I was a brontosaurous eating trees. 25 years later I still don't like broccoli.
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
As a kid, (and still to this day) I'd eat anything that wouldn't eat me first! Except brussels sprouts. They were little sourballs from hell. But nowadays I find that roasted with some butter, seasonings, bacon, balsamic vinegar, parma crusted whatever, I kinda like them!
Pille P 4 years ago
We never had broccoli when I was a kid. Brussel sprouts became available when I was a teenager and I hated the bitter taste. I loooooove broccoli, never tried brussel sprouts again. But my biggest bläääh as a kid were carrots and onions - because in an otherwise salty/savoury dish these were sweet and mostly cooked to mush. In school the boiled carrots were usually from a tin too - these had a nasty metallic side taste. Quite often at school we had some kind of weird dish that consisted of flour, carrots and green peas. No dessert, no side dish. Usually it was potatoes, some kind of sauce, some kind of meat and a raw salad (carrots or cabbage or rutabaga grated) plus dessert. I basically starved on those days because it was sooooo awful. Same dish years later when my dad made it at home was absolutely delicious.
#25
Mum had sworn a bit around the house. When 4, while out at the supermarket, I said the F word really loudly. Very quickly and intently, she asked if I had just said "Truck" and said that was a bad word and not to ever say "Truck" like that again. I thought that was the bad word so used that when being naughty.
Suzanne Haigh 4 years ago
Sound so much better, I wish more people would do that, especially on BP
Elizabeth Butler 4 years ago
Hubby taught our girls that a super bad word to only say when really mad, was "monosodium glutamate". Worked great. Irony that it really IS a bad thing.
Just a girl in a crazy world 4 years ago
Once when I was like, 7. My dad was cleaning the oven and said the F word. I hear “fut” solid two years of me thinking the f word was fut
Tobias the Tiger 4 years ago
I remember thinking "s**t" was spelled "shet" until I was about 5, mainly due to the way my dad pronounced it.
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Janice Humbertson 4 years ago
I used that one when my son was in the backseat of the car and someone cut me off, I said the F word and when he said, "what?" I said "Truck! That truck just cut me off!" Crisis averted..
Šimon Špaček 4 years ago
I like trucking, I like trucking, I like trucking and I like to truck. I like trucking, I like trucking, If you don't like trucking, tough luck. On the road, you must be brave and tireless, On the road, you can listen to the wireless, On the road, you eat café food with pride, You can throw it up outside... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9lmCpIzhFo
#26
My 3yo daughter sometimes doesn't want to climb the stairs to our room and wants me to carry her, sayin "Don't know how to climb." When she does it I say "Show me how you don't know." and she climbs few steps to show me how she can't. We repeat that until she's upstairs. "How come you climbed it all if you don't know how?" i ask afterwards. "I guess I knew." she answers. ...:)
#27
Wanted to name my boat. Anything I would think of was dismissed as stupid by my 13 year old son. After deciding on a name, I confided to a male friend my son liked. Made my friend suggest the name as though it was his idea. My son thought the name was perfect. Done.
Fluffy Griffin 4 years ago (edited)
I'll have to do this. My 8yo is a little brat, and anything me or hubby gets excited about he refuses to like. Star Wars, Marvel heros, Harry Potter, even book classics like Encyclopedia Brown, Narnia series, HP... It's really hard to connect with him. What we've been doing so far is to NOT seem really excited about something until he gets hooked.
Sharon Collier 4 years ago
There is a syndrome called "oppositional defiant disorder", in which a child HAS to do the opposite of what you want. My friend's daughter had it. They got help and now she's much better.
Load More Replies... Suzanne Haigh 4 years ago
I do not agree with this, allowing the child to have control all the time is not good.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
Why are you allowing a 13 y/o to dictate the name of your boat? Aren't you the parent?
#28
Whenever my co-worker would feed any sort of meat to her kids, it was "chicken." Because they wouldn't eat anything but chicken. Piece of steak? It's chicken. Pork? It's chicken? Chicken? It's Chicken.
Carol Emory 4 years ago
My grandmother was known for feeding us unusual meats from time to time. Once, she fed us burgers. I could tell there was something different about it but ate is anyway...it was a venison burger. Then she fed us what looked like chicken wings...after we ate it, she announced it was frogs legs. Then we had what looked like chicken...found out after the meal was done it was rabbit. My grandmother was sneaky, but she was also a damn good cook. We didn't mind.
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
That's probably why a friend's son argumentatively refers to burgers as cow chicken.
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
I did not realize how much chicken we ate until we came home from dinner with my aunt. My son announced, "We had chicken that comes from sheep."
AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
This must be an old co worker of mine, because this was my trick. I don't know why my oldest wouldn't eat anything but chicken for the longest time. So I would tell her everything was Chicken. Now she's 20 and her favorite? Yup. Chicken. lol.
#29
When my children were younger, I'd say "Hey if you do _______ (insert chore), then I'll buy you dinner tonight"
They would get all excited and then go do the chore. Afterwards they'd say, "wait, you buy me dinner everynight"
#30
My mum would always yell at us "if you don't do X, you have to go to bed without socks!"
I never wore socks anyway, and I'm ashamed to admit that this worked
Not A Panda 4 years ago
Yep, I'm Dutch and my dad used that one too. Until I was about 6 and figured out that I never wore socks to bed anyway and he had to find a new one.
#31
The "Silly Mom" routine. My kid, and a few other kids I've known, would balk at getting ready to go. I'd grab their clothes and say, "Well, if you won't put on your clothes, I guess I'll put on your clothes. Cute shirt, by the way! Does it go on my foot?" NO! "Does it go on my head?" NO! IT GOES ON ME! "Oh, that's right, thanks! So, it must go on your legs, right?" NO! "I just can't figure this out! Where does this adorable shirt go?" [kid grabs shirt and puts it on] ON MY TUMMY! SILLY MOM! "Oh, thank you so much! Now what about these pants? Shirts go on tummies, so...the pants go on the tummy, too, right?" NO! [continue until kids have dressed themselves] I would also do things like hand the kid my keys and say, "Alright, you're driving, I'll sit in the booster seat in back," attempt to feed the kid by putting a spoon up to his ear or his belly button, and attempt to put away his toys in the refrigerator.
Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 4 years ago
This would start to get very annoying. I can see once in a while but every day? I would just run away
#32
Twice a year I let the kids eat whatever they want and do whatever they want. It ends up being a lot of junk food. The first maybe three times they ate so bad a few of them threw up. They now regulate themselves much better and choose quality snacks over quantity.
Debra Timah 4 years ago
Yeah - I had a couple friends when I was a kid whose parents did that with them. It's like being able to get a day off from your parents sometimes, which makes some sense.
#33
I've done this one with tens of kids. Any time a kid gets "hurt" (falls down on grass, gets gently hit in the face with a ball, etc.) instead of stopping the activity to pick the kid up and see if they're ok you just scoot them off to the side and resume. Within 10 seconds of not getting all the attention and seeing the fun is resuming they pop right back up and are magically healed. This of course is only for the "injuries" that aren't actually injuries.
4 years ago
A kid is slowly bleeding to death. What do you do? a. Ignore them and continue the game. b. Give the kid medical attention immediately. c. Type up a bored panda article...
The Galactic Empire 3 years ago
Geez they literally write "This of course is only for the "injuries" that aren't actually injuries."
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#34
So I work at a day camp during the summer, and whenever a kid gets hurt or something, I always joke around and say “Alright (kids name) am I gonna have to call an ambulance? Docs! Gotta cut the limb right there!! Just cut it off!!” Works every time, gets them laughing.
Corina Elia 4 years ago
My mom used to do this too, it got me laughing every time!!! She would also say, when I cried over an insignificant injury or a little drop of blood from a paper cut or something like that: "ooohhh se te salen las chichas!" which means something like "your guts are poring out"
lenka 4 years ago (edited)
We do this too. Yesterday in the playground my daughter (8yo) comes running over with blood dripping down her arm, looks at me with a brave grin and says, Its ok Mum, I dont think I will bleed to death, but I might need a bandaid". Other parents looking on in shock as I wipe the blood, apply a bandaid kiss her head and send her back to the playground.
Sue Bradley 4 years ago
Same type of thing - I say oh that was a good flying lesson - show me your wings, or over enthuse on how brave they are Xx
#35
My uncle used to say “quick! Before I give you a dollar!” We would all run like mad to do whatever it was. I’ve used this on my kids and the look of confusion on their faces is all worth while. The cycle continues.
#36
The old tried and true, "Bye, I'll see you later!" as you pretend to leave the house whenever they refuse to put their shoes on works like a fucking charm. My two year old that was just hiding behind the recliner comes a runnin' when she hears that phrase. The seven year old has tried to call the bluff but, I just bluffed my way out to the car before she came running outside. "You really were going to leave me?!" "Guess not, maybe next time."
Deborah B 4 years ago
The other way is "Okay, I'll bring your shoes in a bag in case you change your mind." Feet are cold? "You ready to put on shoes yet?" Gravel hurts? "You ready to put on shoes now?" About to go into school with bare feet "Here, your shoes and socks are in this bag, so you can put them on when you're ready." Then you can use the argument "If you don't get dressed right now, you can go to school in PJs with your school clothes in a bag. Because I do not have time to argue with you." Won't finish dinner? "Okay, we'll put in a tupperware in the fridge for if you feel hungry." If they don't get hungry, fine, they obviously got enough to eat, if they want a snack, here's your leftovers.
Dawn Thomas-Cameron 4 years ago
Tried this. Now my child just runs screaming, "Don't leave me alone." and starts crying. :9(
#37
My ten month old daughter believes that falling over and hurting herself is a feat to be celebrated with a dance and clapping.
Blue of the yams 4 years ago
Which is great, but it can be taken too far. My cousin, when he was about 6, was obsessed with fail videos, he thought they were HYSTERICAL! He used to jump off all sorts of things in hopes of getting a laugh from his parents. That little rascal is lucky he was never hurt!
#38
All three of my kids were allowed one stir fry ingredient that they didn’t have to eat more than 3 pieces of. One chose pineapple, one chose tomato, and one chose carrot. They were allowed to chose a different ingredient for next time, but never before the meal. They would eat their 3 pieces, and I’d eat the rest if they found more in the meal. Worked perfectly, everyone felt empowered. It wasn’t until they were all grown up and had left home that I told them them that whatever else I used in the stir fry, those three items were guaranteed. They now eat everything.
Alethia Nyx 4 years ago
I like this one, I think it probably would have worked on me, getting me to eat just 3 pieces of the hated ingredient, rather than just pulling it all out.
#39
My (wife's) aunt does one that works almost all the time. If they fall or bump something and get an owie, I.e. something minor, she just up and goes "Oh no! What did you do to the (insert object that was hit/fallen on)!?". They usually get concerned about the table or the floor like the hurt it more than they hurt themselves. I was shocked when she did that and my son had the look of "oh shit, are you okay?" on his face and forgot he ran face first into the door frame.
#40
This happens fairly regularly with my boys (9 and 11): Him: OWWW XYZ hurts! Me: OMG Son I'm going to miss you so much! (hugging and clutching) Him: Mom, I'm not dying. Me: Oh. (pushes him away)
#41
Growing up we never had soft drinks (soda) in the house. My mum would on a rare occasion buy Diet Coke for herself and tell my brothers and I “eww yuk why would you want this black drink” . To this day I think coke is disgusting and it hurts my teeth.
No. 4 years ago (edited)
my mum let me thy coke when i was like 3. It tasted horrible and bitter as i remember. Now i dont think she let me drink coke but it was probably something else like tea/coffee which she already knew i hated. I have never tried coke since
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 4 years ago
Coke is great! I don't judge anyone that hates it though, as I can see why you would. I love it anyways.
ChinmayGhule 4 years ago (edited)
Coke and orange juice are disgusting. You should drink milk! - Dani and his fans.
Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 4 years ago
Who dont like OJ? And who is Dani to think that everyone has the same taste? You should treat yourself every once in a while without having healthy things 24/7.
Load More Replies... #42
My wife used to tell the kids that I didn't want them to try new things because I didn't want to share it with them. Sometimes they'd like it and I'd make a big deal out of it about having to share with them. Sometimes they'd say, "this one is all yours dad". You win some, you lose some, but at least they would typically try things this way.
#43
“Don’t eat it. Dooon’t eat it. Whatever you do, don’t eat it. What are you — don’t eat — oh no! You ate it!”
Debra Timah 4 years ago
And then what do you say when they pick up something off the floor or out of a cleaning cabinet that could be poisonous?
#44
I taught my kids when they were toddlers that no amount of yelling, shaking or hitting can wake a sleeping adult. The only thing that works is a gentle hug and/or a nice kiss on the cheek. Edit: Probably needed some more details for the reverse psychology aspect to be clear. It went something like this - Step one, tell the kids I'm going to sleep and nothing they do will wake me (head buried face down is the safest position). Step two, after the initial onslaught dies down pretend to awaken on your own. Tell them you got a bit of nap left in you and nothing can wake you, especially not hugs and kisses.
#45
My mom would tell me she only lets me eat soup after candy and she'd only buy me candy that i didn't like. After a few times, i stopped trying and begged her to let me eat soup first. She gave me a smirk and told me go ahead. This doesn't sound as evil as it was. But trust me i suffered.
#46
Best I saw was when the kid would never bother to take out the trash, the dad said, it was fine and he'd do it, and that he was sorry for thinking the kid was mature enough to be responsible for anything. Really made him feel like a baby, and a week later he started taking the trash out without being asked.
StormWolf 4 years ago
Not at all. In a similar vein, I used to tell my daughter that she doesn't have to eat her veg/tidy her toys, because she is only little and that stuff is only for big girls 😊. Of course she then *had* to prove to me that she's a big girl by eating/tidying. No harsh words or tone, at most some playful teasing involved.
Load More Replies... Šimon Špaček 4 years ago
My son is 3 and he will do anything to show that he is "big man". I'm big man too, so I can show him what big men do. We brush teeth. We are getting dressed. We take dishes to sink/dishwasher. We do not hit girls. We go to pee before we go to sleep.
Carol Emory 4 years ago
My friends kid refused to take out the trash. So she started the "Whoever takes out the trash gets to decide what we watch on the TV." Her husband would pretend to be rushing to take out the trash, her son would get it first. He knew if his Dad got control of the TV, it was old military documentaries or old westerns for the next few hours.
#47
I’m the kid here, but when I told my mom that I was dating this girl from my high school class the first thing she said was “Don’t be upset when you break up”. I’m marrying that girl next August, 8 years later.
Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I hope this isn't because your mum set up such an expectation of upset if you ever break up that you don't dare . . .
Xandra 4 years ago
My first serious boyfriend, at 18... Pretty much everybody said relationships at this age don't last long, don't be upset if you break up. So ok, there were some ups and downs when we were younger, but it's been more than 25 years since then and we're happily married for about 16 of those.
#48
My daughter used to refuse to go upstairs for her bed time, I used to say "Right then, I am going up without you" and she would follow me up. I think it must have played on her fear of abandonment.
#49
My 4 year old has two foam swords he loves to play with, he likes to pretend he is Peter Pan and I am Captain Hook. So I will confirm with him that HE is Captain Hook (while pointing at me) and that I am Peter Pan (while pointing at him). The first few times he is like "no daddy, I am Peter Pan and you are Captain Hook" but eventually the mixed messages with the pointing and the words confuses him then all of a sudden he's Captain Hook like it was all his idea.
What do you think ?
Shannon Matthews 4 years ago
When my daughter was little, tears were sometimes inevitable. When she cried, I would talk to her in a quiet voice as I held her. She would then either stop crying or stop crying hard because she wanted to hear what I was saying.
Nudge 4 years ago
My parents always told me to drink a whole cup of water because you can't cry while you're drinking water, which is true 🤷🏼♀️
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Tiffiny 4 years ago
There’s reverse psychology and then there is straight up lying to your kids. I don’t like seeing when people do that. Or when the parent says “can I have a bite?” The kid says “no” and they do it anyways. Also tickling their feet, if they say stop then you should stop. Respect them now and they will grow up knowing how to respect others. Obviously this isn’t a blanket statement, ie “No, I won’t put on pants.” They still need to wear clothes.
TheDutchGinger 4 years ago (edited)
When my kid was 2 or 3,she would often play with every toy she could find and then just leave it on the ground. One day I started to clean up everything and told her, '' don't come help me. It's now my turn to play with your toys. And you can't participate. I'm playing alone .. And whatever you do ,don't put them in the closet''. She looked and me and said '' no!! Its all Mine. You can't play alone!! '' and she started to put all her toys away in the closet. After that she always cleaned up her things. Because she didn't want me to play with them on my own. It worked a while. Until she realised it was a trick.
Mumchkin 4 years ago
Not quite the same but I think kind of fits. I'm a serious bookworm, always have been, the summer I was 11, Mom told me to go outside. I took my book sat under a tree to read. Mom says, "I wanted you to play outside." I looked her in the eye and replied "you didn't SAY that". She shook her head and laughed saying she would get a smarta** kid like herself.
Dorothy Cloud 4 years ago
I had a few tricks with my kids, but none as fantastic as some of these were!!
Eda Aitsen 4 years ago
Every parent knows, just how exhausting long car trips with pre-school or elementary school children may be. When ever I was tired of inventing new word games, puzzles and math games, I always organized a competition who can stay quiet longest. Sometimes a threat was included but mostly a reward, together with convincing statement that absolutely certainly it will be me winning the competition ‘cuz they never shut up. Worked perfectly for many years.
Renate Stargardt 4 years ago
When my sons were little, I showed them ingredients (fresh fruit and vegetables) and they could choose, what to cook out of it. Of course, we quite often ate pizza and pasta, but they also liked to eat different stews and salads. The most important thing for them was,that they could help with the cooking, which they enjoyed very much.
Shannon Matthews 4 years ago
When my daughter was little, tears were sometimes inevitable. When she cried, I would talk to her in a quiet voice as I held her. She would then either stop crying or stop crying hard because she wanted to hear what I was saying.
Nudge 4 years ago
My parents always told me to drink a whole cup of water because you can't cry while you're drinking water, which is true 🤷🏼♀️
Load More Replies... Tiffiny 4 years ago
There’s reverse psychology and then there is straight up lying to your kids. I don’t like seeing when people do that. Or when the parent says “can I have a bite?” The kid says “no” and they do it anyways. Also tickling their feet, if they say stop then you should stop. Respect them now and they will grow up knowing how to respect others. Obviously this isn’t a blanket statement, ie “No, I won’t put on pants.” They still need to wear clothes.
TheDutchGinger 4 years ago (edited)
When my kid was 2 or 3,she would often play with every toy she could find and then just leave it on the ground. One day I started to clean up everything and told her, '' don't come help me. It's now my turn to play with your toys. And you can't participate. I'm playing alone .. And whatever you do ,don't put them in the closet''. She looked and me and said '' no!! Its all Mine. You can't play alone!! '' and she started to put all her toys away in the closet. After that she always cleaned up her things. Because she didn't want me to play with them on my own. It worked a while. Until she realised it was a trick.
Mumchkin 4 years ago
Not quite the same but I think kind of fits. I'm a serious bookworm, always have been, the summer I was 11, Mom told me to go outside. I took my book sat under a tree to read. Mom says, "I wanted you to play outside." I looked her in the eye and replied "you didn't SAY that". She shook her head and laughed saying she would get a smarta** kid like herself.
Dorothy Cloud 4 years ago
I had a few tricks with my kids, but none as fantastic as some of these were!!
Eda Aitsen 4 years ago
Every parent knows, just how exhausting long car trips with pre-school or elementary school children may be. When ever I was tired of inventing new word games, puzzles and math games, I always organized a competition who can stay quiet longest. Sometimes a threat was included but mostly a reward, together with convincing statement that absolutely certainly it will be me winning the competition ‘cuz they never shut up. Worked perfectly for many years.
Renate Stargardt 4 years ago
When my sons were little, I showed them ingredients (fresh fruit and vegetables) and they could choose, what to cook out of it. Of course, we quite often ate pizza and pasta, but they also liked to eat different stews and salads. The most important thing for them was,that they could help with the cooking, which they enjoyed very much.
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