Positive opposites are a concept you can discuss, model or praise in well-child visits. Every unwanted behavior has a positive opposite! By replacing "don't" with "please do," you can think of yourself as helping a child learn how to behave - not just tell them what not to do. And, you are giving them the opportunity to practice following directions and self-regulation skills. So, next time you feel like saying, "Don't play with the otoscope," you can try out, "Please put the otoscope back on the wall so I can use it later. Look, when you scrunch the exam paper, it makes such a crunchy sound! You can try it too!" Reserving negative words like "don't" and "stop" for situations when children are truly in danger, also improves the likelihood that they will listen when they need to most.
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