Feature
Being A Better Adult
Kid Behaviors Adults Could Do Better By Cheryl Maguire
Please use your inside voice. It’s bedtime. Eat your broccoli. Wear your jacket.
1. Just Say No Most toddlers favorite word is no. A child will cross their arms and stand their ground shouting no until they turn blue and pass out. Adults do not have the same ease in using the word. Why is saying no hard for adults? According to an article in Psychology Today Magazine there are many reasons adults struggle with using the word no. Often people want to belong to a group so they may say yes to receive approval from others. Another reason a person may resist using the word no is fear of upsetting another person. Lastly, a person may want to be helpful and feel valued so they reframe from saying no. How can adults just say no? Psychology Today Magazine says the word no should feel empowering. By practicing and remaining diplomatic most people will improve their ability to say no to others. Envisioning how easy it is for a child to say no may also help you realize you can do it as well.
bites of their dinner they respond with, “can I only eat three bites?” Children have little fear or resistance to negotiating with adults or other kids. Why is negotiating hard for adults? An article on Salary. com states, “our research found nearly one-fifth of workers never negotiate after they’re offered a job.” After interviewing 2,000 people about why they don’t like to negotiate Salary. com found the biggest reason was the fear of losing their job. Other answers were people felt they would seem greedy or they wouldn’t get a raise, anyway. In a Money Watch article by Jeff Haden, he states, “I hate negotiating, mostly because a negotiation often feels confrontational.” Heidi Grant Halvorson Ph.D. shares this viewpoint by stating, “A negotiation is an experience that is rife with conflicting motivations.” How can adults negotiate better? Negotiating is an important skill since it enables you to earn a higher salary or pay less for a car or house. This skill can help you in both your personal and business relationships. Similar to saying no, you will feel empowered when you are able to negotiate effectively. In the Psychology Today article “How to Negotiate Like a Lawyer” Ruth Lee Johnson J.D. offers five strategies you can use to improve your negotiating skills which are to prepare, plan, assert and implement the solution. She stresses the importance of listening to the other person and doing your research before the negotiation.
2. Ability to Negotiate If you tell your child their bedtime is 8 pm, often they will ask how about 8:30 pm? Or if you suggest they eat five more
3. Play Creatively If a child sees a basket of dolls or Legos, they have the ability to play creatively for hours. Sometimes a cardboard box
As a parent you have probably said at least one of these statements more than a hundred times to your child. Adults are always telling kids how to behave. But there are times when kids do things better than us. Here are five behaviors adults can learn from kids:
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Our Kids Magazine | November 2018
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