Tell Them What You Want Instead of What You Don't Want

It's far easier for children to know how to act when you tell them what you would like them to do. For example, "Please walk in the house." versus "Stop running!"

If your children are jumping on the couch, avoid saying "Don't jump on the couch!". Instead explain "I see you have a lot of energy. You can jump as much as you want on the floor." Take your children by the hand and lead them off the couch and onto the floor. Join them in a little jumping if you feel like it!

This idea works for kids and adults alike. Recently I was at a community college where I ran into a number of signs hung up on stairways and railings declaring "This is NOT a bike rack!" Clearly people with bikes had parked them there and were now being warned not to do that. However, there was no sign of a bike rack anywhere! It would have been far friendlier to have a sign indicating where the bike racks were located and asking people to please park their bikes there.