is over. What do you do? Give them a hug! But be careful with these
little huggers. If a child repeatedly requests a hug, you’d better check
to make sure you’re using the program correctly. Some kids are just
very sensitive and any kind of discipline upsets them a little. Other
children need reassurance because you were too harsh—emotionally
or physically—before you sent them to the room. So if you get a little
hugger, make sure you’re gently following the No Talking and No
Emotion Rules.
Help—my kids go nuts when I’m on the phone!
This problem brings back vivid memories to all parents. It seems that
all parents have experienced their child acting up when the parents are
on the phone. The ringing seems to be the signal that it’s time to cut
loose!
At our house, the dog would also get into the act. The phone would
ring and the dog would bark. The dog’s bark was a signal to the kids:
“We’ve got another victim on the line, get down here and let’s torture
him for a while!” Then they’d all be running around, yelling and
barking and having a wonderful time. Whoever was on the phone
would feel trapped and frustrated.
Why do children always seem to act up when you’re on the phone?
At first I thought it was because the kids were jealous of the parent
talking to someone else and ignoring them. This may be partly true,
but now I believe the main reason is that the children think you are
helpless. The kids seem to believe that since your head is attached to
the phone, you won’t be able to do anything to counter them raising a
ruckus.
The best thing to do is count the children just as you would if you
weren’t on the phone—much like when you have other people over.
While you’re on the phone you have somebody else present—but only
listening, not watching. You may have to interrupt your conversation
to count. You may have to put the phone down or explain what you’re