"Door!" The fading pitter-patter of feet skidded to a halt. There was a moment of hesitation, then the sound of approaching feet and Beth reappeared at the bathroom door. She grabbed the handle and pulled it shut. Why Use A Whole Paragraph When Only One Word Will Do For the parent, it saves time, breath and boring explanations. In our house, we'd already said, "Feet don't go on the table - the table is a place for plates, not for feet, etc." Now, when she kicks back to relax after dinner, and puts her feet on the table, explanations become unnecessary: "Feet!" is all that is required. For the child (as well as being freed from a lecture) it gives them the opportunity to think and reason. "Door? What about the door? Oh, yeah, I left it open." "A word" is best said brightly rather than barked. And, it might be added, it is rarely helpful when it is just our child's name. "Beth!" could run the danger of her name being associated with wrongdoing. If we do use the child's name, make sure it is coupled with the instruction: "Beth! The door!" These concerns aside, however, saying it with a word is a great way of getting your child to do something. It certainly saved me from having to get out of the bath! On that occasion. Rory Sullivan writes Hamelife, a website dedicated to helping parents negotiate the unpredictable waters of parent-child communication. With the 30 Ways at its heart, Hamelife encourages parents to avoid exasperating their children by embracing empathy, respect, and patience. Source: www.articledashboard.com
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