My son, when he fell as a toddler, always looked to us to see if we reacted. I learned to say “TOUCHDOWN!” or “What are you doing on the floor?” or “While you’re down there, can you see if there’s any loose change under the couch?” If he was okay, he’d be distracted. If not, he’d cry immediately, and that’s how we knew he was actually hurt.
^ How it should be done. If you freak out, they assume from your reaction that they’ve been grievously injured.
I’ve also heard of the trick of offering them candy as a “medicine,” the idea being that if a slab of chocolate was enough, they weren’t hurt, and if they continue screaming you might have to worry.
This necessitates walking around with uneaten chocolate, though.
How it should be done. If you freak out, they assume from your reaction that they’ve been grievously injured.
Or you end up with a kid who learns they need to ham it up because they want a more drastic reaction from you. Or you end up with a kid who still cries hysterically at EVERY trip, bump and fall.
Not saying OP has the wrong idea. It’s precisely what I did with my kids. But it’s not some magical behavioral voodoo hack for kids.
My son, when he fell as a toddler, always looked to us to see if we reacted. I learned to say “TOUCHDOWN!” or “What are you doing on the floor?” or “While you’re down there, can you see if there’s any loose change under the couch?” If he was okay, he’d be distracted. If not, he’d cry immediately, and that’s how we knew he was actually hurt.
^ How it should be done. If you freak out, they assume from your reaction that they’ve been grievously injured.
I’ve also heard of the trick of offering them candy as a “medicine,” the idea being that if a slab of chocolate was enough, they weren’t hurt, and if they continue screaming you might have to worry.
This necessitates walking around with uneaten chocolate, though.
Yeah, food rewards are not advisable; they don’t even recommend that for dog training anymore.
Or you end up with a kid who learns they need to ham it up because they want a more drastic reaction from you. Or you end up with a kid who still cries hysterically at EVERY trip, bump and fall.
Not saying OP has the wrong idea. It’s precisely what I did with my kids. But it’s not some magical behavioral voodoo hack for kids.