Home
>
Parenting
>
What To Do With A 6 Year Old Smart Mouth Know It All

What To Do With A 6 Year Old Smart Mouth Know It All

Just the other day, I was talking to some other stay at home moms and asked if they were struggling with any difficulties. "Yes," one piped up almost immediately, "discipline problems with my 6 year old smart mouth know-it-all! I don't want to spank, and don't, but he seems to laugh at time out, privilage loss, etc. What do I do?"

Ahhh.. the joys of independence in children. I have found in working with children that when negative consequences are imposed (loss of privilages, time outs, etc.), they simply do not work. My advice and what I try to do is to always let the child have a choice in the matter at hand. For example: Your six year old (and any age for that matter) is not listening to you. You are asking him/her to pick up their room. They are ignoring you and doing what they want to do. Instead of saying "if you don't listen there will be a consequence (time out, loss of privilage, etc.) Try rephrasing and saying to your child, "Boys/or girls that want to watch television later will have their room clean within the next twenty minutes (or whatever time frame within reason for you). Make it a positive statement instead of a negative one. You can also use any type of reward, it doesn't have to be t.v. privilages (a snack, time outside playing, phone time, game time, etc.)

This technique also allows your child to make a decision in their own fate. If they choose to listen to you and clean their room, then they watch television. If they choose not to listen, then unfortunately they do not get to watch television. Leave it simple. I know as a neat freak myself that to leave the room messy for your child is HARD!! But simply say to your child, I am fine with your decision not to clean your room, unfortunately, you also have made the decision not to watch television also. The key here is to stay clam and positive about the decision that they have made and walk away.

Of course you are bound to have tears and comments coming your way about not letting the child watch television. Again, keep it simple, remind your child that they did have a choice to clean their room and watch t.v. or to not clean their room and not watch t.v. Remind them that you love them and are fine with their choice. After a few times of making the wrong choice, children ultimately will start making the better choice for them. The key to your success with this is to stay calm and positive.

Remember to always stay clam, and positive, no matter how hard it is!

Tammi Kauppinen is a proud stay at home mom with five wonderful children. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater with a degree in Special Education, she decided to find a way to stay home and raise her children. That hasn't kept her from working with kids! She has run an in-home day care for ten years, worked in variety of school districts with children with special needs, acted as a foster parent to teenage boys and as a respite provider for other foster children. She continues to work with children - including her own - on a daily basis and publishes a weekly email on stay at home mom tips. To sign up for this FREE service go to http://www.stayathomemominc.com

professional maid services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

What To Do With A 6 Year Old Smart Mouth Know It All

Parenting