Hellobee

I’m not exactly sure how we started using these tactics on Baby Pizza (who is no longer a baby), but we use these four methods daily and often to get her to listen to us. And while I’m not exactly sure what to think of it, Lil’ Pizza has caught on to some of our parenting tricks as well and has used it a few times to get her baby sister to comply to her.

“The stuffed animal talk”

The typical scenario:

Baby Pizza needs a diaper change but when I tell her to come, she says no and runs off. Instead of chasing her and wrestling her down to stay still for a diaper change, I get a stuffed animal and start talking like I’m the stuffed animal. It’s the strangest thing but she will almost always immediately listen. She’ll be on the opposite side of the room and once I start talking in a slightly different voice with a stuffed animal in my hand saying, “Baby Pizza, can you show me how you do a good job changing your diaper?, she will run over and lay down in front of me. Often, I’ll keep talking as the stuffed animal and ask her questions and she will respond back to the stuffed animal.

Lil’ Pizza likes to get in on my parenting tricks for Baby Pizza.

“Repeat after me”

The typical scenario:

Baby Pizza is distracted playing with her toys and takes some time for her to come over to me so I can put on her shoes. It feels like she wants to run off again and play before I have her shoes on. I will start putting her shoes on and say, “It’s time to put on your shoes. Say, “okay umma” (umma means mom in Korean). Then Baby Pizza will repeat me and say, “okay umma.” I might add some phrases, like “I will listen” and “time to go” and she will keep repeating what at that time. As she follows my responses, she starts to follow along to what she is saying out loud. I feel like it’s a bit of brainwashing or maybe it’s like training her to know how to best respond. Ha, either way, it works!

“Complete the sentence”

The typical scenario:

I’m trying to get out of the house and Baby Pizza is fixated on a toy, so I will say, “Baby Pizza, you can take that toy to the car. Once I buckle you into the car seat, you can hold it and play with it, ok?” When we get to the car, I’m trying to get Baby Pizza to sit in her car seat but she keeps trying to stand up. So I will say something like “Baby Pizza, remember this toy that you want to play with? Umma will give it to you after you sit and we put on your….” Then Baby Pizza will respond and say “buckle.” I do this often when we read books that she is familiar with and have her finish off some of the sentences with the last word, but somehow I started to do this even when I wanted her to listen. I feel like it helps her to listen to what I am saying and reiterates what I want her to do.

“Tell me what’s next”

The typical scenario:

Most nights, Baby Pizza is super sweet with her night time routine but there are nights when she is trying to get one more book read, leave her room, or say goodnight one more time to her sister. Once I’m reading the last book to her, I will say something like, “This is the last book we are going to read. After this, it’s time for…” And then she will respond by saying “bed.” After we finish reading the book, I’ll keep asking her what’s next and we will walk through each thing we do as she tells me each step (sound machine, light, close door, pray, amazing grace). I feel like this helps her to focus and not get distracted and want to do something else.

.  .  .  .  .

I’ve noticed that these parenting tricks that I use with Baby Pizza also promote language development. She is engaging in conversations, learning new words, and listening and following directions and more. I’m surprised everyday to find out new words that she’s picked up from us and how much she comprehends what we tell her.

Have you used any of these parenting tactics with your own child? What is a tactic you discovered (or learned) that helps your child listen and respond to you?