Why Preschoolers Whine

CEBU, Philippines - The sound of a whining child can sometimes be the most annoying thing ever! But this is when your child feels powerless in hope that someone would only pay attention. Reliant on most of his/her basic needs, whining is no doubt the “best” way to convey the message across thinking that this is an effective way to communicate. Think of a child who doesn’t whine. Something is clearly wrong. Annoying as it is, it is completely normal. We love our children very much so let’s just deal with the challenges as a parent.

Acknowledge your child’s need for attention. The whining usually comes in when you are engaged in a conversation with someone else, working or trying to focus on something very important. What to do: Explain that you should say, “Excuse me please” politely but without the whining. Then praise your child afterwards. Don’t just say “later”, your child won’t ever get it.

Addressing this problem. Children cannot express their feelings, they just can’t. But do try to keep a conversation going by reminding the child to keep a normal voice (without the whining, ofcourse). You may want to cover your ears if your child carries on whining, this is to show that you are not tolerating any of that.

Avoid any triggers. The whining will begin when your child feels tired or hungry. Plan your day in advance by working around your child’s sleeping and eating hours.

Be absolutely clear. Your child may be a little too young, but try to be as clear as crystal so your child knows what you are talking about. Children don’t know how annoying it is when one whines, so you might want to do a demonstration. Recording his/her voice or even filming your child and doing a playback are other options. Try practicing using regular voices together and just be patient, your child should eventually get it.

Have a fast response. Say or do that same thing every time, be consistent and don’t give in to the whining. If you do, you’ve already lost the battle.

Keep calm and cool. The worst thing is to blow up in front of your child due to that annoying whine. The bad news is, your child won’t ever stop if you don’t ever keep your cool.

Stay connected. Give your child the attention he/she deserves, this is definitely one-way to avoid any whining. Play together, talk to each other and best of all, thank your child for behaving so well. (Helpful Resource: www.babycentre.com)