Toddler
What We Saw: While the children
are lining up to go outside, one boy begins to run around
the classroom. A teacher gets down to his level and says,
"If you run, you may fall down and hurt yourself, and
I do not want you to get hurt, so let's try walking."
The boy immediately walks to the line to join his friends.
What It Means: Children comply with
our rules much better when we give reasons for those rules.
Researchers have even tested this and found it to be true.
Telling a child to "Do it because I said so!" doesn't
work nearly so well as giving a logical explanation
for our rules or requests. Children even remember
the rule longer. That may have been why this teacher got
such immediate compliance. Or maybe it was just that she
got his attention by getting on his level and speaking
directly to him!
