The other day, my toddler taught me an important lesson. I was holding his hand, walking through the parking lot to go into Walmart, and he suddenly stopped and started trying to pull his hand out of mine and was really agitated and yelling something and trying to get away from me. Normally, I probably would have tugged him along or picked him up, both of which would have preceded his throwing a huge fit in the middle of the road.
This time, I just happened to hear what he was yelling. I barely caught him saying something about walking on the line. Okay, no big deal, let’s walk on the line!
The point is, little kids just want to be heard! My son really wanted to walk on the lines in the parking lot, and if I hadn’t listened to him, I wouldn’t have known that’s why he was trying to get away from me, and he would have thrown a huge tantrum.
Listening to what our kids are saying and being considerate of their little feelings is a great way to avoid tantrums and inappropriate behavior. Kids deserve our respect and attention, so listen to what they’re trying to tell you!
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