This article was published in Parenting Clan on 8th September, 2011
Annoying things kids sayWhen kids say annoying thing, do not retaliate but be empathetic and think at their level.
You love your kids. You work so that they can have the best. You give up your job so that they get the best care and attention while growing up. You slog whole day for them. But at the end of the day, they say something most annoying, or worse, hurtful. What do you do then? Reprimanding them is not always the right and healthy thing to do. You need to be empathetic and think at their level. Here are the 6 most annoying things kids say to you and how you should react:
1. “I hate you” or “I don’t like you”
After all you do for your kids, what do they say to you – “I hate you” or “I don’t like you”? And they said just because you did not let them play at dinnertime or switch off the television because it was time to do their homework. It can be devastating for you as a parent. But if your kid says that, it does not mean that you are a bad parent and the key is not to take it personally. There might be other reasons for his/her behavior. He/she might be tired, sleepy or even not feeling well. Do not retaliate immediately. When your child is calm, let him/her know that what he/she said hurt your feelings and that you are sorry for spanking them (if you did without thinking). Remember that kids have pure hearts.
2. “That’s mine”
This is a very common thing for kids to say. One sibling plays with his/her toys, he/she shouts back, “It’s mine”. You take a story book to read to another child, again the familiar line, “It’s mine”. Retorting back and saying that your kid cannot watch television because it is yours, is not going to help. One good way is to ignore it. If you cannot and need to say something, you might try, “Sorry” repeatedly, or “Okay”.
3. “It’s not fair”
This is a very common thing to hear, either when you ask your kid to do something or deny them something. Again, shouting at them is not healthy. Kids think that they cannot have their way just because they are kids. You need to make them understand that it is not so and that grown-ups too cannot have their way all the time. You can also talk to them and teach them new ways of expressing their feelings instead of saying “It’s not fair” all the time. Tell them that they can say, “Can we please talk about this” or “Mummy/Daddy, I don’t like this rule”. With time and practice, they will drop their annoying lines.
4. “I want it now”
Your little one wants a cookie “right now”, wants to go out to play “right now” and wants you to find him/her their favorite toy or jersey “right now”. And they don’t usually stop till they get it. Do not give in right away and at least stand your ground for some time. If their demand is justified, give in and if it is not, just stand your ground. You can also try diverting their attention to something else.
5. “Shut up”
If you want your kid to stop saying “shut up”, then first and foremost you will have to drop the same from your vocabulary. Hearing you saying such words, kids feel that it is okay for them to say that too. You can also make usage of certain words or phrases off-limit around the house and formulate some kind of punishment for it.
6. “Gaagaaa gooogoo”
When the kids are mere babies, their baby talk can be one of the cutest things. But once they grow past that stage, the same imitated baby talk by your kids can be super annoying and irritating. Kids usually baby talk just to sound cute and get their way. They might also use artificial tone and way of talking. Talk to them and say that it is not cute and people may actually dislike them for doing that. Kids want everyone to love them, and so are likely to drop their baby talk or baby accent.
