Children whine and argue to get what they want, it really is that simple! So what can you do to put an end to whininess in your family? Try using one of these phrases:

“I can’t hear you when you are whining.” 
“I don’t speak the language of whine.”
“Use your big boy/big girl voice.”

After you’ve said that, don’t negotiate with your child about the issue, just walk away. Like we talked about on Wire Talk this past week, sometimes children get into the habit of whining and truly don’t know what they sound like or what we mean when we tell them to stop whining. Ask your child, “do you know what you sound like when you whine?” Then give them a little imitation of their whiny voice! Then you can tell them, “that’s really unpleasant to listen to, so please use your big girl/big boy voice when you ask for something.”

As always, be consistent! Whatever you do, don’t give into your child and give them what they want when they are whining, if you do you’ll be taking a few steps backwards.

For more on putting a stop to whining once and for all, listen to episode 213 of Wire Talk.