My eight-year-old son still whines whenever he doesn’t get his way. At school he is doing extremely well and has no behavioural issues, but at home he turns into a whining machine. Any ideas?
If you address the whining he has no reason to change and it will become his choice of communication. Remind him that he is whining and when he starts speaking in his normal tone and manner you will talk to him. Also, look at the timing. Does the whining have anything to do with hunger or fatigue? It’s not unusual for kids to whine after a long day at school. We do, too, after a long day at work! When he comes home give him a healthy snack and let him relax a little, perhaps 20 minutes of book reading or TV. Sometimes after-school activities can get in the way of this important downtime.
Published in November 2010.
