Word It Forward

How you phrase a choice matters as much as offering one. Point at what the child can do, not at what they can't.

"Stop throwing the blocks" names the problem and invites more of it. "Do you want to stack the blocks or line them up?" points somewhere better — and either way, the throwing stops.

Same with chores: "Clean up the blocks or the crayons first?" Either way, the room gets clean. A forward-facing choice gives the child a direction to move toward instead of a rule to crash into.