Children vs. Dogs...

Here's the test:

1. When you call your child, does she come right away?

2. Will your child sit/wait/be quiet when you tell him to?

3. If your child is enjoying something, will she willingly hand it over when asked without being coaxed, threatened or bribed?

4. Will your child follow simple instructions, such as "put your toys in the basket", "don't touch" or "put on your shoes" the first time you ask?

5. Can your child handle a "no" or an "it's time to leave" without whining or throwing a tantrum?


I think many of us have been fooled by the "experts" into believing our children are not capable of basic obedience. Deep down we know our children should be able to do these things, but instead of trusting our instincts, we listen to the psychobabble. We spend our days coaxing, bribing and manipulating our children into doing the simplests of tasks. No wonder many of us are prone to angry outbursts!

Even a dog can come, stay, sit, fetch and follow simple commands. Is your child smarter than a dog? I hope so.

If he or she can't follow basic instructions cheerfully, you may want to set up some training sessions. More on that tomorrow.