Multiple Choice Answers – A Simple But Powerful Tool to Help You and Your Child Get Through Some of Those Difficult Moments
ByIf you have a child who struggles with giving appropriate response when he feels challenged, consider this tool. We’re all very familiar with multiple choice questions. But let’s look at a simple tool you can teach your child quickly and easily. It’s called “Multiple Choice Answers” and can be used in advance of a drama or on the spot. Let’s see how it works.
Situation:
Your 12 year old son is about to sit down to watch American Idol. (This is important. After all he has to be “in the know” tomorrow about what happened.) Problem: The two large trash cans have to be rolled down to the street tonight and he has to collect trash from every wastebasket and trash can in the house before taking the big garbage cans down to the curb. That will take him 15-20 minutes if he moves quickly. If he does the whole thing after American Idol that puts him past his bed time. Perhaps you see the potential drama unfolding here. You are feeling frustrated and annoyed. (Of course same or similar events have happened before.) Your son typically blurts out a semi-hostile or downright rude answer. Then you have to deal with that too!
A simple solution can be to work out with your son a set of “Multiple Choice Answers.” When you state that the trash has to go first and then he can watch his show, here are some possible answers he could give you:
1. Not on your life old lady!
2. Do it yourself.
3. Would you help me tonight, by gathering the downstairs trash and I’ll grab the upstairs wastebaskets and the roll the cans down to the street? Pleeeeease, Mom.
4. What if I pull together some of the wastebaskets now, some on the commercials, and then roll the cans down after the show. Then I would only be 5 minutes late getting to bed and I promise to do it earlier next week.
If you don’t have this in place before this event takes place, try making up multiple choice answers on the spot and let him pick. (Remember to have some humor now.) This simple ”Multiple Choice Answers” tool can difuse many a battle before it gets started. Developing this skill and habit also gives you and your child some powerful confidence builders to help him deal with situations at school and in after school activities.
If you remember to crack a smile now and then and let your child help create the list of answers you can eliminate a lot of stress for both of you.
