Blaming Things a Child Likes for Their Own Actions

Parents, have you ever told this to your child: 'I guess TV is more important than feeding the turtle' and 'You know the lyrics to 'Call Me Maybe,' but you can't remember Grandma's phone number.' That is NEVER the answer! Kids can be forgetful about certain things and blaming their favorite things for that will never work. Doing so will make them blow it off more often and leave the turtle to starve or make Grandma feel alone and unloved. And think about this: You wouldn't blame your favorite things for making youself forgetful, so why do that to your child?

• Make a list of things to do. You have to make it so the child can be interested to it, add some footballs or fairies or something.
• List the phone numbers on paper or a dry-erase board.