“No hitting! Don’t run! Don’t throw that!”
As parents we can find ourselves uttering those phrases regularly.
But when we tell kids to “not” do something, the ONLY thought they will have is to DO it.
It’s like telling someone to not think about “purple elephants.”
You wouldn’t have thought about it anyways, but the more someone tells you to NOT think about it, the more you do.
For Jonah it is compounded when older brother tells him not to do something, because he giggles while he says it.
“Pffft! Hahaha!! NO NO, JONAH! Don’t pour that water out all over the floor. Hahahaha! Don’t you do it!!” (And then the water is on the floor)
Instead, redirect.
“Thank you for touching ‘softly.’ Thank you for walking! Can Daddy have a turn with that? (Instead of “don’t throw that”) “
Just simple wording can make a world of difference.