Parenting is not an easy task. It’s a balancing act between being stern yet encouraging and supportive. Therefore, the correct use of language is crucial when speaking to children.
In a TikTok video that recently went viral, Adnan Faisal, a Malaysian entrepreneur shared some tips on how to get a child who loves to climb household objects to come down without scolding or forcing.
According to Adnan, “children don’t like the words ‘Don’t’ or ‘Can’t’.”
In the video, a little girl, his daughter Safiyyah, can be seen climbing the bars of a grill gate. She almost reached the top when Adnan approached her and started clapping in admiration for her.
Instead of telling her that she can’t or shouldn’t be climbing the grill gate, and instructing her to come down, Adnan tried speaking to Safiyyah in a more fun way, posing the instruction as more of a challenge.
“Try coming down. Can you do that? Slowly,” he said, which successfully got Safiyyah to start descending the grill gate!
“Safiyyah can come down too?! Wow, good job sayang! Good at climbing up and also coming down,” Adnan praised and clapped for his daughter to get her to come down on her own.
According to Adnan, parents must always speak nicely when asking their children to be careful and to be generous with praise as a form of encouragement. Then, when the child has accomplished something, do not be afraid to celebrate their achievement too, regardless of how small it is.
“Don’t force or expect them to understand quickly. We’ll get stressed and start becoming angry,” Adnan said adding that parents need to understand their children and always find ways for the children to understand them. “We can’t expect them to just know themselves”, he said in the video caption.
“Parenting takes a lot of knowledge. Everything requires knowledge. I’m not even that knowledgeable. Just sharing what I think could be of use to others.”
Watch the full video below:
@adnanfaisalrauf Tips Suruh Anak Yang Suka Panjat Turun ? . Kita kena faham anak-anak dan sentiasa cari cara supaya dia faham kita. Tak boleh harap dia akan faham sendiri. Nak didik anak perlu ilmu, nak buat apa apa pun perlu ilmu. Adnan tak banyak ilmu pun. Cuma share apa yang Adnan rasa baik untuk di share. ? . #toddler #parenting
Such useful advice! Make sure you try Adnan’s method!
