Can You Stand Off in the Store Aisle All Day?

Parents can create a stand off by expecting their child to behave reasonably when they're already indicating that they can't. Count downs and other tactics contribute to this us against them feeling, in other words, a stand off. For a sensitive child, there's a scary sense of anticipation when parents do these countdowns. And it doesn't create the kind of calm connection that helps children feel safer and more connected - less likely to resist us at every turn. What works is a relationship centred, relationship building approach to all these situations. It really does work better in the short and the long term.