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Whining: Why Your Kids Whine

1. It works. Children learn how to manipulate very young because their little minds can figure out cause and effect. They whine, and you jump to fulfill their every desire. If this happens, they will continue it. “Why ask nicely and wait patiently if whining works faster,” they reason.  If this is happening, you should stop giving in. No means no. Calmly explain that whining doesn’t work anymore, and they must say “Please” and ask nicely to have a chance at what they want. It will take some training for them to reverse the whining habit, but before you know it, your children will be saying “Mommy, juice please” instead of hanging on the refrigerator door and screaming.

2. They’re tired. When you are tired, you get a little cranky too! If it’s close to nap time or bedtime, put them to bed a little early. They might welcome the idea. If it’s too far away, try to interest them in something they really like, a toy for example. If they get excited about something else, they may forget they’re tired.

3. They’re hungry. Kids eat… a lot. Especially boys. Try offering your child some food if he’s whining. Sure, they go through the phase where they don’t want to eat anything, but how do we know when they are out of it unless we try? It might be just what they need.

4. They want your attention. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own daily tasks that we forget to give our child attention. They need “Mommy  time” every day. If I haven’t spent enough time with my son, he’ll scream if I leave him for a moment to go to the bathroom. He doesn’t understand work, so turn off the laptop for half an hour if your child is whining. Maybe you’re all he needs.

5. They’re sick. This is especially true if you have little ones who can’t tell you that their ear or throat hurts. Unless they have a fever, we don’t always know that they are sick. Take them to the doctor and find out. You might be surprised to find out they have a “scale nine” ear infection.

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