I'm a good boy - how do I respond?

[Radosny Matka]

Ds has started saying this..."I'm a good boy, right Momma." He gets this from dh. :banghead Dh says it alllllllllll the time - it's almost a term of endearment for him. Drives me nuts. How should I respond to this? So far, I have been trying to pick a different quailty - for instance..."yes, you sure are persistent." What should I say if he says this and there really isn't a fitting quality for the statement. I don't want him stuck in this "good boy" thing. Grrr.

I'm trying to get dh to read how to talk to kids. He said he would over vacation, so I hope he does!

[Miss Priss]

I would respond with, "You *have* been making good choices lately, haven't you?" Or something along that line. :shrug

[ArmsOfLove]

I would maybe reflect his feelings first. "It's important to you to be a good boy." And then validate him, "You are always a good boy. Just be being alive you are good" :heart And then switch it to descriptive praise, "Let me tell you some qualities you have that I love. . . . "

Sometimes the asking can be because that's the wording they've picked up, sometimes it can be anxiety about not being a good boy. Depends on how much pleasing is ingrained in them :)

[Radosny Matka]

I would maybe reflect his feelings first. "It's important to you to be a good boy." And then validate him, "You are always a good boy. Just be being alive you are good" :heart And then switch it to descriptive praise, "Let me tell you some qualities you have that I love. . . . "

Sometimes the asking can be because that's the wording they've picked up, sometimes it can be anxiety about not being a good boy. Depends on how much pleasing is ingrained in them :)


:tu This advice was right on (not that I'm surprise or anything ;) ). My son said this in the van yesterday so I repeated what you said to him saying I loved that he was compassionate, thoughtful, loving, fun, and always making me laugh. He beamed from head to toe. :grin Then he proceeded to try and make laugh. :giggle He hasn't said that phrase today, so maybe we are done with it (I can hope anyway).

[ArmsOfLove]

What a sweet update :)