My toddler asks why to almost everything I tell her to do. How do I handle this?

That's a good quality !!!. Explain her/him as it will be good for their growth :). However, if it's a pain and you don't have enough time then I might have some options: http://bcotb.com/blog/2013/02/05/the-difference-between-positivenegative-reinforcement-and-positivenegative-punishment/ 1. Positive Reinforcement: Positive reinforcement works by presenting a motivating/reinforcing stimulus to the person after the desired behavior is exhibited, making the behavior more likely to happen in the future. The following are some examples of positive reinforcement: - A mother gives her son praise (positive stimulus) for doing homework (behavior). - The little boy receives $5.00 (positive stimulus) for every A he earns on his report card (behavior). - A father gives his daughter candy (positive stimulus) for cleaning up toys (behavior). 2. Negative Reinforcement: Negative reinforcement occurs when a certain stimulus (usually an aversive stimulus) is removed after a particular behavior is exhibited. The likelihood of the particular behavior occurring again in the future is increased because of removing/avoiding the negative consequence. Negative reinforcement should not be thought of as a punishment procedure. With negative reinforcement, you are increasing a behavior, whereas with punishment, you are decreasing a behavior. The following are some examples of negative reinforcement: - Bob does the dishes (behavior) in order to avoid his mother nagging (negative stimulus). - Natalie can get up from the dinner table (negative stimulus) when she eats 2 bites of her broccoli (behavior). When thinking about reinforcement, always remember that the end result is to try to increase the behavior, whereas punishment procedures are used to decrease behavior. For positive reinforcement, think of it as adding something positive in order to increase a response. For negative reinforcement, think of it as taking something negative away in order to increase a response.

This is very common among most toddlers. They are curious little beings and will want a reasonable answer to everything. Asking why almost all the time is a positive sign. It means your child is thinking, analysing and understanding what is being told to her. Now you know you cannot get away with any lame explanation! It's gonna be trying time for you but if you ever get stumped about any query juat tell her "mamma will find out and get back to you soon". Cheers! ! You have an intelligent child.

That's a wonderful quality. You're raising a thinker! To start with, answer her queries logically. If you do not know the answer, tell her you don't know and try to find out the answer together :) Don't feel pestered with the constant asking, you got the nurture this quality.

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