Ever tried to win someone with bullet points?
It's like trying to tickle someone with a spreadsheet.
Communicating with your child, many assume the way to get a message across is to hammer it home.
Repeat it. Rephrase it. Reinforce it.
But sometimes, in the attempt to hammer, we forget.....our child is not a NAIL.
HUMOUR THEM.
*It lowers walls, not guards. When children laugh, they relax. When they relax, they listen. When they listen, they remember.
*It connects, not corrects. You can correct their thinking and still have them like you - but only if you're not wagging a finger while doing it. A light laugh lands better than a lecture.
*It invites, not intimidates. Nobody likes being spoken at. Humour creates a conversational tone. Like a friend pulling up chair instead of a judge pounding a gavel.

So next time you need to get a message across- REMEMBER
You can hammer them. You can humour them.
One leaves a dent. The other leaves a smile.