Five Tips to Stop Whining Children

As parents, we are all looking for ways to stop whining children. That familiar chorus that comes from our children when they don’t get their way, no matter how much we try to avoid it, whining is inevitable. As parents, it’s frustrating to reason with the whining child especially when oftentimes reason doesn’t work!

While there is no ultimate cure to stop whining children, there are some things we parents can do to help discourage this practice and turn the whining child into a more pleasant one.

Stop Whining Children Tip #1: Consider Your Response

Consider how you respond to the whine. Do you give in? Do you stand there and argue? Do you ignore? It could be that your response actually reinforces the whining so consider how you’re responding and try something different.

Stop Whining Children Tip #2: Point out the Whine When it Happens

It is important that the whining child recognizes when he or she is whining. At the very moment that whining takes place, call attention to the behavior and verbalize that you will not accept a whining child.

Stop Whining Children Tip #3: Try Some Techniques to Tackle the Whine

You may need to tell your whining child that when they’re whining, you will ignore their behavior until they are able to use a more normal voice to communicate what they need or want. It may also be helpful to mimic their whine to show them how ridiculous a whine sounds.

Stop Whining Children Tip #4: Teach Your Child How to Handle “No”

Oftentimes, the word “no” from a parent begins the whine. If this happens with your whining child, consider teaching them specific techniques on how to handle hearing “no”. You may want to tell them to stay calm, to discuss the matter later in a calm manner, or to go off by themselves to “cool off”.

Stop Whining Children Tip #5: Positively Reinforce “Non-Whining”

When you catch your child handling a situation without a whine, give them some kudos! A hug and a “good job” go a long way in encouraging a more appropriate response to what previously caused “whine”.

Related Articles