Child Nagging and Negotiating - End It With Three Simple Words. When it comes to persistence, few things compare to a child nagging and negotiating to try and get what he wants. And few people know that better than a parent who has given that child an answer they don’t want to hear. From the famed “Are we there yet?” To this morning’s “Can I have ice cream for breakfast?” To this afternoon’s “Can I have ice cream for dinner?” Kids are notorious for their one-track minds, and they will ask…and ask…and ask…just in case you’ve changed your mind in the last minute.
Child nagging is a learned behavior that children of any age can pick up. They might continue to use it because once, in a moment of weakness, you caved and let them stay up an extra half hour after they asked for the eighth time. But like any learned behavior, child nagging can be unlearned. It only takes three simple words: “Asked and Answered.” The concept is simple. Step One: Ask, “Have you ever heard of ‘Asked and Answered’?” Step Two: Ask, “Did you ask me a question about digging a hole?”