Compromise is never easy, no matter how badly you want to come to a solution. Disagreeing with a spouse or a loved one usually involves swallowing pride and doing what’s best for the relationship. However, it can be difficult because of hurt feelings or unrealized desires. 

Compromising with your children is even harder, especially when they are very young. Most parents don’t care to admit it, but we sometimes bribe our kids to accomplish a task. But why stoop to what feels like a back alley Noir novel meeting when we can compromise instead? 

When it comes to compromising with our children, you want to be fair, but you also want to maintain some sort of authority, so you don’t feel like a pushover. Fortunately, there are ways to get what you need from your child without giving up too much “control” over a situation. 

When Madison was younger, I liked the tit-for-tat method, “If we do _____ now, we can _____ later.” It allowed me to accomplish what needed to be done and gave her a little something in return. Although, of course, the offer has to be reasonable, I preferred to offer a delayed bedtime over ice cream and new toys. Most of the time…

Children often have a difficult time with transitions; it’s challenging to go from having fun to doing something you don’t want to do. By offering a warning, “We’re done with playtime in 5 minutes so we can _____.”, you may find that you can avoid the need to compromise altogether. 

What are some ways you’ve successfully compromised with your children?