Do you ever have trouble with your kids not wanting to leave the park or wherever you’re visiting? I’m sure if your children are old enough, you’ll experience this, sooner or later. ⁣

Playing 'chicken', i.e. faking that you're leaving, never ends well. Your little persistent kiddos will win every time. 

So, let’s look at a few ‘how to get your child to leave’ strategies without resorting to using fear tactics:

✔️ PREP. PREP. PREP.  Tell your toddler exactly what to expect about your outing before leaving. "We're going to the park with the swings. There'll be plenty of time to play on the slide, swings, and climbing equipment. When it's time to go, I'm going to say, 'You can have one more ride down the slide' then we'll go home for lunch.  

✔️ MAKE LEAVING INTO A GAME. For instance,” When we leave today let’s pretend we’re ALL bunnies and LET’S hop all the way to the car. Ok bunnies, let’s go. “⁣

✔️ LEAVE EARLY. Leaving while everyone’s still having fun may seem counter-intuitive. But you’ll create better experiences. Also, you’re likely to have better behavior if your kids aren’t overtired when leaving.⁣

✔️ GIVE WARNINGS- I usually say something like, “Okay, you can do your one last thing now.” I prefer that over warnings about how much playtime is left, as kids don’t often have a time sense. ⁣

✔️ HAVE BYE-BYE RITUALS. I love rituals. I think they help solve so many problems. For instance, take advantage of your phone, and let the kids take a picture of something they enjoyed at the park before leaving. ⁣

✔️ MAKE GOING HOME FUN. If the kids have fun on the way home, it motivates them to get in the car. We used to play ‘Count the white cars (or other challenges)” as I drove home. ⁣

✔️ EMPATHIZE. Let your child know you understand how they're feeling by saying something like, "You're really disappointed that you can't stay and play for longer. What do you want to play on first when we come back next time?"

Looking for more gentle strategies to manage unwanted behaviors?  Sign up for Toddler Talks in bite-sized chunks. Get one bite-sized chunk of parenting advice each week in your inbox.⁣ ① Grab a coffee. ② Read weekly e-mail. ③ Up your confidence. 

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