Young children don't yet know how to behave, and it's a caregiver's job to teach them. One helpful strategy is to ask children for the behavior parents want them to do, instead of telling them what not to do. This teaches new skills and promotes self regulation.

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Here's what you can do in practice:

You give lots of instructions during the visit - take a deep breath, look over here, stand like this, touch your toes, squeeze my hand - and all of them are a great opportunity to model asking for the behavior you want, and offering praise when kids do it.

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Haven't seen our provider modules? The Keystones curriculum  models real-life scenarios in the well-child visits and gives lots of examples of ways to promote development and strong parent-child relationships. Plus, you can earn 4 hours of CME credit yourself - or bring the curriculum to your trainees if you're not already using it. Check out this example on positive opposites at the 18 month visit!