How I got my 3 y/o to do what I want her to

[17cleo]

My kid is pretty easy going but never wants to get in the bath (well, she does but thinks it's more fun to make me chase her while she laughs and runs around on the couch screaming "NO!")..

She loves to play with any type of figures. She likes when I talk for them, seriously we could spend 2 hours where she just talks to the figure, showing it her toys and I just talk and move the figure around

So yesterday I picked one up and said in my figure voice "hey Addy can we go take a bath? I wanna come with you! I can sit on the counter and talk to you!" and she goes "okay! Let's go!"

Then later I said "hey are you ready for bed? Can I come cuddle with you?" and she said "oh yes! Let's go!" and ran into her room.

How did I not figure this out months ago?

 

[tesslcoil]

@17cleo My 3 year old is easily coerced into doing what I want by challenging her to a race to do it. "Race ya to the bath!" or "Race ya to put the toys away!" gets her moving faster than I could have hoped for

 

[amandal]

@tesslcoil My 3, nearly 4 year old is also motivated by competition. She also is motivated by choices. She picks out her jammies before bed, but if she's dragging her feet I'll be like "oh I guess I'll pick them out for you" and start walking to her room. Cue the sound of a tiny foot stampede as she dashes past me into her room because nooooo lol.

 

[tesslcoil]

@amandal Ha I love this one. Works in our house as well. I'm also a fan of, when she's not eating her food, "oh I guess I'll eat it then". "No dad, it's mine!" as she proceeds to stuff as much as she can in her face

 

[amandal]

@tesslcoil That doesn't work for us when it's something kiddo doesn't want to eat. Then she's like "here let me feed it to you!" Lol

 

[tesslcoil]

@amandal They are cheeky little shits like that

 

[predrag]

@tesslcoil This is why they come with such chubby cheeks.

 

[diligentlyseekinggod]

@predrag Laughing Out Loud

 

[keralamatrimonial01]

@amandal Haha my kid is exactly the same, if i say lets cook together she would be like "yess lets go but you eat it, im not eating it " lol

 

[boutdatgospel]

@amandal Same, then I have to eat the now cold and horrible broccoli.

 

[helpmeplease26]

@amandal LMAO!!!

 

[helpmeplease26]

@tesslcoil HAHAHA!!!

I love this age when their tiny little brains haven't fully developed yet so they just don't know any better!

 

[glt]

@amandal My 2 year old is also motivated by competition, however so am I. So inevitably it ends with me winning and shouting “in your face sucker!!”. Of course he’s super dramatic and cries. I ordered some trophies for myself.

 

[krissiej2015]

@tesslcoil Enjoy it while it lasts, my daughter burnt out of competition eventually

 

[jes1023]

@krissiej2015 My older son did pretty quickly, but this worked on the younger one for a ridiculously long time. He's now 14 and I bet I could still challenge him to a race to get dressed or something and he'd be on board. My kids are a little too competitive though.

 

[krissiej2015]

@jes1023 Ooooo in a younger I can see that

I'll have to try with my son

 

[dilligaf]

@tesslcoil My brother and I would do this all the time with our mom. Once she yelled from the kitch that “last one to have their hands washed is a chicken” or something and I ran out of his room, slipped and opened my lip. Didn’t wash my hands and had to go to the hospital.

 

[tesslcoil]

@dilligaf Hahaha that's amazing

 

[morningredsky]

@tesslcoil Same. This works for pretty much every single thing I want my 4yo daughter to do. Also instead of race for cleaning the room I say "If you can clean this room in (x) amount of time i will give you a sucker!" and it always works. (My local target has sugar free teeth cleaning sucker things in the toothbrush aisle, so I don't feel too guilty haha)

 

[samanthagamgee]

@morningredsky A teeth cleaning sucker? I can’t even believe that is a thing. Definitely sounds made up.

shudders in tooth fairy