Pay Attention and Wheel of Choice Adaptation

The “Pay Attention” tool card says “Put down whatever you are doing and focus on your child as though he or she is more important than anything else you could do.” But what about those times when there really is something that needs your full attention at that moment. The following story from Elly Zhen, a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator in China, is a great example of teaching children that they can find creative ways to occupy their time when mom or dad is busy.

I needed to take my 4-year-old daughter, Serenity, with me to my Postive Discipline parenting class in the morning. There was not a babysitter available. That means she would need to play by herself for three hours. I asked her: “Three hours? Do you think you will be bored?” She nods her head.