Say This and Not That to Correct Negative Behaviour

Alternative Approaches 

1. "No, you can't do that." -> "Let's try something else instead." 

1. "Stop being so difficult." -> "It's okay to be frustrated, let's take a break and calm down." 

1. "You're being lazy." -> "Let's take a break and then try again." 

1. "I don't have time for this." -> "Let's prioritize our tasks and work on this first." 

1. "I'm getting angry with you." -> "Let's take a break and talk about how we can solve this problem together." 

1. "I don't want to hear it." -> "Let's talk about how we can solve this problem together." 

Positive Reinforcement/Encouragement 

1. "Why can't you just behave?" -> "I know you can do better, let's work on it together." 

1. "You're always making a mess." -> "Let's clean up together." 

1. "I'm so disappointed in you." -> "I know you can do better, let's work on it together." 

1. "You're not good at this." -> "I know this is challenging, let's keep practicing." 

1. "You're not trying hard enough." -> "I know you can do this, let's keep practicing." 

1. "You're not following directions." -> "Let's review the directions together and try again." 

1. "You're being careless." -> "Let's be more mindful and pay closer attention to what we're doing." 

1. "You're not being responsible." -> "Let's take responsibility for our actions and make things right." 

1. "You're being too rough." -> "Let's be gentle and respectful to each other and our surroundings." 

1. "You're being careless with your things." -> "Let's take care of our belongings so they last longer." 

1. "You're not using your manners." -> "Let's use our manners to show respect to others." 

Communication Improvement 

1. "You're not listening to me." -> "I need your attention please." 

1. "You're being so annoying." -> "Can you please use your inside voice?" 

1. "Stop whining." -> "Can you please tell me what's bothering you in a calm voice?" 

1. "You're always interrupting me." -> "Let's take turns speaking so we can both be heard." 

1. "You're not behaving properly." -> "Let's talk about what behaviors are expected in this situation." 

1. "You're not cooperating." -> "Let's work together as a team to accomplish our task." 

1. "You're being mean." -> "Let's be kind to each other and find positive ways to communicate." 

1. "You're being disrespectful." -> "Let's be kind and respectful to each other." 

1. "You're not being honest." -> "Let's be truthful and communicate openly with each other." 

1. "You're being too sensitive." -> "Let's talk about our feelings and find positive ways to express them." 

Self-awareness and Empathy 

1. "You're being a bad kid." -> "I know you're a good kid who sometimes makes mistakes." 

1. "Don't touch that!" -> "Let's keep our hands to ourselves." 

1. "You're being stubborn." -> "Let's work together to find a solution that works for both of us." 

1. "You're being selfish." -> "Let's think about how our actions affect others." 

1. "You're being a troublemaker." -> "Let's find a positive way to express our energy." 

1. "You're not being careful." -> "Let's be more careful and mindful of our actions." 

1. "You're being impatient."