It’s five o’clock, you’re done for the day, and your child is showing no sign of wanting to leave the playground. Try giving a five-minute warning. Yes, I know, maybe you’ve heard it a thousand times, but it really works (three out of four times, anyway). Tell them exactly: "In five minutes, we need to go home."
Now, why does this matter? Kids don’t quite grasp time, and suddenly taking them away from fun feels like the end of the world. Expecting instant compliance is, well, expecting too much.
Offer Choices
Try offering a choice when the time is up: "Do you want to hop to the car or walk backwards?" The illusion of control often works wonders. My daughter once picked hopping, and we made it a game. It didn’t even feel like leaving.
The Backpack Trick
Another one: the backpack trick. Pack a small snack (apples or those tiny bags of Goldfish) and say, "We’ll have a picnic in the car." It’s bribery, yes. But it’s efficient bribery.
When All Else Fails
If they throw themselves on the ground, wait it out. Count to ten in your head, or rather, let them have a moment. Eventually, they’ll get tired of the floor. I still mess this up sometimes when I rush in too quickly.
A Real Scenario
Here’s what happened last Wednesday. Around 6:00 pm, I told my son, "Five more minutes, okay? Then we can pick our story for bedtime." He protested but reluctantly agreed. When the timer beeped, he asked, "Can we stay five more?" I said, "You choose: go now or miss the story." Surprisingly, we left.
Leaving the playground isn't going to be a breeze every time. It won’t solve every meltdown, but it definitely helps. The reality is, some days it works, some days it doesn’t.
And if you’re still there when it gets dark, you’re definitely not alone.