If you have a child in your life, then this viral TikTok tip might save you from the experience of dealing with a fussy kid throwing a tantrum.
TikToker @livvykaykay says she's figured out a little way to "hack" grumpy kids after working as an au pair for a family in France, and it's a great way to get them to do what you want.
It's not a 100% guaranteed thing – these things never are with kids – but she says if you really want a child to do something without hassle, there's a right way to ask them so that they're more likely to obey.
According to Liv, it's as simple as giving them a choice.
"I'm about to show you that if you give a kid a choice, they will always always, most likely, 99% of the time do what you want them to do," Liv says in the video.
To demonstrate, Liv asked the child under her care, "did you poop?" The child answers no numerous times.
Liv tells her audience that she can smell the lie, so her next task is to convince the child to get their nappy changed.
The first approach Liv used, which didn't work, was saying, "can we go change your diaper?"
The child instantly responded with a no.
Then she showed her audience that if you give the child a choice between two options that both lead to getting the diaper changed, they'll pick one and go along with it.
@livvykaykay i wish I knew this sooner! #aupair #nanny #annecy #france #europe #hostfamily #kids #tipsforkids #tips
"I think it's time to change your diaper. Do you want to walk, or do you want me to carry you upstairs?" she says to the child.
The child immediately responds by saying, "me walk," in the most adorable way possible, proving Liv's point that giving them a choice makes working with children so much easier.
"If you literally give a kid a choice, they will do what you want them to do."
She explains that If you tell them what to do, like "Let's go change your diaper," they won't want to listen and can say no.
However, if you follow Liv's technique, they have a choice but either way, you "end up getting [them] up the stairs and in the bathroom to change [their] diaper."
She says the same approach can be used in several other situations, such as when you have to leave the house.
She suggests saying something like "It's time to go. Do you want to put your coat on first or your shoes?"
"They have to choose one. But they're that much closer to getting ready," shared Liv.
"If you give them a choice, you get them to do what you want them to do. Enjoy!"
People in the comments section praised Liv for sharing the tip and most agreed that giving a child an option gives them the feeling that they're in control of their lives instead of an adult making all their decisions for them.
One user commented: "Kids just love to feel like they're in control of their life. This is a great way to accommodate that!"
"if you don't give them two options, they never want anything," wrote another.
So next time a child you're caring for is giving you a hard time, put the tip to the test and give them two choices that both lead to the result you want. See if it works!
