On Leaving How To Teach Your Child How To Leave The Park Gracefully And Without Arguing

Writen by Shelly Walker

This past summer, I've had lots of opportunities to watch parents attempt to shepherd their children away from the park. I've seen good parenting and really horrible technique. I see a lot of parents and children really struggling with leaving gracefully. Here are some thing's I've learned this summer about leaving:
• Don't sit on the sidelines and watch your child play, yelling instructions to him from afar.
• Do make sure to play with your child to the best of your strength and energy level. Believe it or not, they'll be more willing to leave the park if they have had quality time with you that will continue on the way home. Turn off the cell phone and put down the latte and get out there and have a great time with your kids!
• Don't give three or four different five-minute warnings. This only teaches your child that you don't really mean what you say and that he can push the boundaries because you don't really have any.
• Do give one five-minute warning. This prepares your child & lets her know that a change is coming, helping to create a smooth transition.
• Don't yell at her from afar that it's time to go. This will give her the opportunity to ignore you.
• Do go right up to your child and touch him on the arm to get his attention, then look in his eyes and say it's time to go. This is a loving, thoughtful way to get your child's attention.
• Don't threaten him with a nap if he doesn't leave right now. Naps should be sacred, loving times, not ever punishments. (I actually heard this a couple of weeks ago: "If you don't come with me right now, I'm going to make you take a nap when you get home!" Sleep is not a punishment, it's a blessing!)
• Do tell your child what is coming next. "It's time to leave the park. Let's go home and get a snack!"
• Don't allow your toddler to play until she's completely physically and emotionally spent, then expect her to leave gracefully. We're not looking to exhaust our children: we're giving them a chance for healthy exercise and fresh air.
• Do make play times fun and energetic and make sure they end after an appropriate length of time.

Every parent and child can learn how to leave the park gracefully. It's a simple matter of setting clear boundaries and enforcing them with loving kindness.

Straight talk from the mom who has been where you are and knows how to help your family: Shelly Walker is the mother of two beautiful children and the author of Awakened Power and the upcoming book Parenting Keys, which will be filled with conscious parenting tips and parenting advice. Shelly is passionate about children and believes that every child deserves healthy, happy parents. Her website has great parenting information and free tools to help parents raise successful, empowered children. For a free copy of The Top Five Parenting Challenges: How to Succeed Where Others Fail, go to www.ParentingKeys.com .