Malika
Well-Known Member
Well, I'd like to report a positive tiny step into the world of Collaborative Problem Solving, which I suspect will grow increasingly important in my dialogue with my son J... He had a late nap at 4.30 (doesn't usually sleep in the afternoon any more as the school won't allow it, unfortunately, though his body doesn't follow the diktat), waking up very cranky about 6. Starting crying and persistently whining about this and that, and I could feel it getting to me, that particularly annoying sound that seems to drill into the nerves... Then he began whining for "chocolate on a spoon" (ie chocolate spread). I said he could have it on bread, salvaging some nutritional benefit, at which point he starts careering into a tantrum. So... I bit my lip, girded my loins, gritted my teeth and went down to his level, managing to bypass my strong desire to get angry with him over such "nonsense". I said I understood he wanted chocolate, but that I wanted him to have something good in his tummy and what could we do about it? He just kept saying he wanted chocolate on a spoon, so I proposed that he could have that as long as he drunk a glass of milk with it... he kept muttering and protesting, but stopped the tantrum and then... accepted the proposition! Mummy and J both happy.
I need much more practice and skill in the technique but... I guess using Plan B can work. Much more difficult than Plan A, though...
I need much more practice and skill in the technique but... I guess using Plan B can work. Much more difficult than Plan A, though...