How do you deal with a whiny toddler? Mine is driving me nuts. "Nooooooo!" "Why???????" *Waaaaaiiiiiiillllllll #ineedmysanityback

One way to deal with your child’s whining is to not react to it. Whining is a child’s way of getting attention or a response (be it positive or negative) from you. To change this behavior, you have to be firm and consistent in how to react to his/her whining. 1. Establish the rule and explain to your child that you will not respond if he/she whines. Teach him/her the appropriate way of asking for something (saying please, or using his/her normal voice instead of whining). Explain to your child that you are not able to understand him/her when they are whining. 2. (Here’s the tough part) Whenever your child whines, you have to maintain a neutral face. Your child has to learn that whining will not work in gaining a response from you. 3. Praise your child whenever he/she is able to request for things nicely/did not resort to whining to get something. Positive reinforcements such as praises (“that was a nice way of asking for ___”; “thank you for using your normal voice”) can help the child learn the new behavior 4. Be consistent and keep to the rule. It will take time and it will be tough, but staying consistent is key to helping you stop your child’s whining behavior. I will always remember how when I was younger, my mother will simply walk away whenever I started whining for something (regardless whether we are at home or outside). Every.single.time. On hindsight, it must have been tough on her but it definitely worked. I quickly understood that screaming/whining will not get me what I wanted. Instead, I will be making a fool of myself (especially when we are outside). For more ideas on how to teach your child that whining won’t work, you can check out this article: http://sg.theasianparent.com/trick-your-kid-to-stop-whining/