The older the kid, the more time you can wait to give a consequence.
Young kids often need to experience a consequence or redirect for their behavior right away. Too much time between their action and the redirect will make it harder for them to understand exactly what it was they did that was wrong.
Older kids on the other hand can wait and this is a great strategy to tap into. As parents, we often want to respond right away but when we do we have a tendency to respond with emotion and not something thought out. These words will be super helpful! “I’m disappointed with your choice but I need some time to think about how we’re going to handle it. I’ll let you know when we’ve decided.” One… your kid will probably spend some time wondering and reflecting on what happened and what you’re going to do. Two… you now have time to think out a really effective response.
