"High P" Requests.... Technical Term but Easy to Do

What is a parent or teacher to do when they need a child to do something that they typically don't want to do? Embed the request in with other directives that the child typically complies with.

For example if a parent or teacher needs a child to pick up their toys the exchange could go like this...
Parent: "Johhny, can you come here please."
Child: "Hear I am."
Parent: "Oh, thank you for listening when I called you. Can you come with me now."
Child: Child complies and follows.
Parent: "Thank you for coming with me, now I need you to pick up your toys."
Child: Most children will begin to pick up the toys.

Why is this strategy successful? The child has been given two tasks already that were easy to do but received praise for complying, the next task given may be something more difficult or less desirable for the child, however most children will do the task because they feel empowered to do well based on the praise they have just received.

These are called High P requests because they child is given tasks that are highly likely to be implemented and then the activity that is less likely to be completed. A technical term but takes much less time and effort than bargaining, begging or threatening.

Deborah K. Howell, Assistant Director