Is Negotiating With Your Kids a Good Idea?

You are tired and about to fall off your feet after a long day spent with the little one, but you kid is refusing to leave the park. What to do? From threats to giving in and from negotiating to shouting matches, things can go various ways. If you’re tempted to try out negotiating with your child when you don’t see eye to eye on a specific matter, then check out our fast tips on how to do it the effective way.

Listen to Your Child’s Point of View

If you’re about to embark on a successful negotiation match, then the first step is to always listen to your child’s point of view. Engage your child by asking things like “How many more minutes do you think we should stay at the park?” – asked this way, your child will feel like their needs are important to you and more often than not, they will be more willing to compromise.

Clearly Explain Where You Stand

Once you give your child the option to express their feelings, it’s time you do the same – and you are allowed to be a little selfish. What not to do – phrases like ‘because I said so’ or ‘because I’m the parent and I know better’ will only make your child more angry and resilient (if not in the moment, later on), so express your feelings in an honest manner: “I am very tired because we played so much today. I loved our time together! Remember how you get when you are tired?”.

Give Your Child Various Options

If your child isn’t willing to communicate, you might want to try encouraging them by giving them two or more options: “Should we leave the park in five minutes or should we leave now and come back tomorrow and have a picnic too?”. Feeling like their opinion is valuable and that they have a choice will make most kids more open to cooperation and successful negotiations.