“Wait a minute!” you may be thinking. “He gets to do whatever he wants?” No. There is a strategy for having children make choices. Followed correctly, your child gets the control he craves. You get the peace of mind you need.

Give choices this way:

• Only give your child choices that work for you. It’s not, “Would you like to clean out the garage or go to the mall?” It’s, “Would you like to clean out the garage today or during your free time on Saturday?”
• Expect your child to accept the consequences of the choices he makes.

Remember, choices do not apply when your child’s safety is at stake. At that point, you take over and do what is best for your child.

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