The other day I overheard Allison’s English teacher giving a quiz. She asked the students to name a demonstrative determiner. I knew what she was asking for, but thought, “Many mothers would probably name their pre-school child!”
Children come with an automatic desire and determination to have their way (it’s called an old sin nature!) and if they don’t get it they throw a fit. The parents have to make a decision right then and there what they’re going to do about it. If a choice is made to ignore the temper tantrum it will continue until the volume hits decibels unknown to any operatic soprano! The child knows how far they can push Mommy and they will go all the way to that level to achieve the desired result – getting what they want.
On the other hand, however, when the tantrum starts, if the parent gets down on the child’s eye level and speaks to them in a quiet but firm tone, the little determiner will know that he has your attention. Give them the result that will “fall” if the tantrum doesn’t stop, and then follow through! You may have to go through this scenario many times before your child stops this behavior, but you will reap in the future. Stay at it…the discipline and time you pour into your “demonstrative determiner” will also bear more than what you sow.
By the way, the demonstrative determiners are: this, that, these, and those. Who knows, you might be asked that on a million dollar quiz show!
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