Parent Survival Kit #10

Parent Survival Kit 
Resources, Links and Stuff to Support
Parent Survival 
"We Got This!" ​

Children Following Directions? 
Pro-tip#1  Remember that children think in pictures. If you need to give directions, speak in pictures. "Stop doing that." or "Be careful!" these phrases do not have pictures to form in our imaginations. 
Try building imagery in your direction, say, "Put your feet on the floor." or "Lay the stick on the ground to rest now." If there's no picture in your words, children will struggle to follow your direction. 
 
Pro-tip#2  Speaking in pictures also means that if you say "Don't Run!" it will give a child direction to run. Say the phrase to yourself, the first image you see is running. "Don't" doesn't have a picture, so children will likely run. Try, "Walking feet please." or "Walk slowly like a snail." ​