It’s true to say that children rarely know what’s best for them. If they had the choice, they’d never go to bed until 4 am each morning, they would eat ice cream every three meals of the day, and all of the budgeted money they receive would be spent in the local toy store.
As such, sometimes it’s worthwhile for a parent to play ‘the bad guy’ to ensure discipline is applied towards treating them correctly, and helping them develop in the right manner. Yet sometimes, a child, despite how nice their disposition may otherwise be, can be wholly uncooperative with this aim. That in itself can be a relatively irritating problem to manage, especially if we’re already overtired and overworked.
Thankfully, there are a few wonderful tricks you can play on your child to ensure they don’t know you’re trying to ‘do what’s best for them,’ instead thinking you’re giving them a break. If only they knew. We’re sure you’re at the edge of your seat, so without further ado, let’s get started.
Great-Tasting Medication
Kids notoriously dislike medicine, and that’s okay, they may be too young to swallow pills or capsules and so we can’t blame them for that. Also, not all liquid medications have been flavored appropriately. However, some have. For instance, using Combantrin which taste like chocolate pellets, or opting for the child-friendly strawberry-flavored paracetamol can make a big difference in how receptive they are to it. If you frame it as a simple treat (and keep the package well out of their reach), you can help them get the medical support they need.
Vegetable Alternatives
Of course, all children deserve a healthy and balanced diet, but sometimes, this can be difficult for them to understand. This is why it can be a good idea to sneak vegetables into their food, from sweet potato fries from a light broccoli or pea sauce with a meal, as they grow we can start integrating better and more tasty vegetables into their diets with care. It can also be worthwhile to show them just how tasty vegetables can be in general, such as by steaming and roasting them too as opposed to just boiling and losing the taste.
One important thing to consider is to avoid catastrophising vegetables or making them seen as a bargaining chip (you’ll only get dessert if you eat those!) because this entrenches the combative attitude your child might have. Instead, allowing vegetables to speak for themselves, as funny as that sounds, can be key.
The Awesome ‘Choice Trick’
A good way to trick your child into doing something you wish for is to give them a binary choice which helps them accept something you need to do. For instance, you may ask them if they want their milk in a red or blue cup, so that they don’t question the idea of milk, only the kind of cup style they’re feeling that day. You can see how this principle is applied, and most of the time it works.
With this advice, you’re sure to play these wonderful sleight of hand tricks in helping your child developing in the healthiest manner.
