Every parent knows how annoying it is when a child has an emotional meltdown. Sometimes they're cute. Sometimes they’re funny. But often, they're just frustrating.
Our oldest son passed through a tough emotional period last year (he was about to enter kindergarten). We were wondering if he was emotionally mature enough to start school, and we were worried.
Then we came up with a consequence worth passing on.
When he had a meltdown, he had to stand in front of a mirror and smile for three minutes!
Magic.
It was very annoying for him. The last thing he wanted to do was smile. But he wanted his freedom back, so he forced a smile. Watching your disgruntled child force a smile is very entertaining.
After a little while, even he thought he looked funny. The smile suddenly was not forced. And he would usually end up laughing.
Within days, as a meltdowns came on, he miraculously turned them away.
Success.
2 comments:
Very cool. Am passing this tip along to family. Thanks!
Adults can benefit, too!
I researched the benefits of smiling once, and it's amazing it changes both the body and the mind.
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