Whether they’re whinging, moaning, sulking, or complaining, as your child ages you’ve come to find that they have started to become a bit negative. Although you know that it’s normal for children to whine, it’s increasingly starting to get on your nerves and put you in a bad mood. You want your child to be happy and positive, but in order to do this, you have to find a way to minimise the whining!

Parents, it’s completely normal to feel a little irritated by your child’s whining. In fact, a study concluded that whining is actually one of the most distracting sounds known to humans – so we don’t blame you for feeling frustrated.

So, we thought we would talk about some effective strategies you can turn to in order to stop your child from whining. But first of all, we feel it important to talk about why your child might be whining so you can learn more about this behaviour, before you put these strategies into action.

Why might my child be whining?

Children tend to whine for several reasons. For example, they could be hungry, tired, deprived of attention from their parents, or they could have had changes occur in their life (such as a new sibling, or a problem at home or school).

It’s important to try and consider what might be triggering your child’s whining, as this will allow you to think about some adjustments you could make to their routine. You may find that something as simple as spending time with them might curb this behaviour!

Now that we’ve talked about why your child may be whining, let’s consider some strategies you could use to stop your child from whining.

What are some strategies to stop my child from whining?

Call out the whining

It’s important to call out your child’s whining, as they may not even be aware they are doing it! Let your child know that they are whining by demonstrating what they sound like, and using humour to lighten the tone of the conversation. For example, you could say something like, “Wouldn’t it be difficult if adults went around whining like that all the time! Nothing would ever get done!” However, it’s important to take care that you don’t make fun of your child, as this will hurt their feelings.

Make it clear that whining isn’t acceptable

Your child needs to learn that whining isn’t an acceptable form of expression and that they understand it is unpleasant and won’t get them what they want. So, make this clear by telling your child calmly and clearly that you won’t be listening to what they have to say if they are whining, and that they should speak to you in a normal tone of voice.

Keep calm

Staying calm when your child is whining can be trying, we know. But it will help you deal with the situation more effectively. Your child wants to see how their whining is affecting you, and will take that as a cue for how upset they should be.

Don’t give in

It’s easier said than done, but you must resist giving your child what they want when they whine. This is because when you do this, you are encouraging your child to use whining again the next time they want something.

Be consistent

Not being consistent is very common among parents, but it doesn’t help when disciplining a child. In order to reinforce the importance of no whining, try to be consistent with how you respond to your child when they do this. If you are not, then you are diluting the message that whining is not to be used, and your words have less weight.

How do I stop my child from whining?

Unii looks at how to cope with this irritating behaviour.