Whining. Ugh. My kids don’t get what they want when they whine. Period. It amazes me how we’ve been so consistent with that rule and yet they still whine. If it’s whiny for something that would be considered a bonus gift of some sort (a treat, a toy at the store, a t.v. show, etc.), the answer is automatically no. However, sometimes they whine just to whine. They might be frustrated or it just might be one of those innate kid things that must be trained away. One of our phrases is “try that again.” We got this phrase from the Pritchards. This morning was a good example. My daughter said, “Will you help me put my tights on, please.” That sounds very pleasant, doesn’t it? You can’t hear her shrill, whiny voice that is going along with that question. Re-say that sentence in a whiny voice…not so sweet sounding anymore, huh? So, I said the phrase, “Try it again.” She did…not much improvement. So, I demonstrated for her what a sweet voice sounds like. “Try it again.” Ahhh…success. I was able to help her with her tights.
