Glassy-eyed, restless, squirming kids who’d really rather not listen to your pearls of wisdom can cause endless anxiety. How do you handle them? What can you do to rein in their interest? You could give up, get angry — or get creative. Try one of these tactics to engage even your most challenging child.
1 Break in with a funny personal story. I have a trove of bizarre and revealing “My-brother-Daniel-and-I” stories that includes (but is not limited to) an attack by a skunk, sliding my 3-year-old sister down the stairs in a plastic tub, and chopping off a snake’s head that we found on the floor of our room. I’m not making this up. Believe me, kids’ attention becomes laser-beam sharp when they recognize you’re about to spin a yarn.
2 Start whispering. Kids will think you’re hiding something from them, and they’ll strain to hear what you’re saying.
3 Give candy randomly. Tossing out a few treats every now and then will keep kids alert and interested. (Don’t use these as rewards for good behavior or correct answers; kids are not dogs, after all! Just occasionally surprise kids with a sweet treat.)
4 Fake a coughing, gagging fit. My mother did this when she was being mugged, and her assailant actually became so concerned that he tried to help her. True story!
