How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 (The How To Talk Series)

by Joanna Faber

Problem-solving is a useful tool if none of these prepackaged ideas do the trick. Here’s how it might go: Step 0. Find a Peaceful Time to Talk with your child (not at bedtime). Step 1. Acknowledge Feelings “It’s not easy to get used to sleeping by yourself.” “You really like having us lie down with you until you fall asleep.” “Even though part of you knows that Mommy needs to sleep, it’s really, really hard to resist waking her up.” “It’s no fun to be the only one awake in the night.” “It can be scary to lie alone in the dark.” See if your child will talk about how she feels. Reflect back what she says. “Oh, so your toys can look like monsters in the dark.”