Using Reverse Psychology

Even parents who don't effectively use other parenting techniques, like
time-out, using natural and logical consequences, distraction or
extinction, likely know about reverse psychology.

Using this technique, to get your kids to finish their dinner, you might
say something like:

"I bet you can't eat all of those peas in 30 seconds."

or when trying to get him to put away a toy, you might say:

"I'll put it away for you. You probably don't know how to fit it all
back in the box anyway."

So you are essentially trying to get your child to do the exact opposite
of what you really want him to do.

This should not be confused with trying to make chores fun. If you say
'let's see who can put more toys away in 5 minutes,' then that isn't
reverse psychology, since you are actually telling him to do what you
what him to do.

It also can work to 'encourage' your child to not do something that they
really want to do. For example, you might try to scare your child into
not crossing the street by saying:

"OK. Go ahead and cross the street by yourself. You'll just get hit
by a car..."

Does Reverse Psychology Work?

Parents who use reverse psychology as a discipline technique recognize
that it can work. But is it good parenting?

If your child is getting bad grades, is it really a good idea to say:

"That's okay. You're probably not smart enough to make better grades
anyway"?

Some kids might study more after being told that by a parent, but many
others will simply think that they aren't smart and should stop trying
to make better grades.

When using reverse psychology, if you consider that you are more
'manipulating' your child than anything else, then all of a sudden it
takes on a more negative tone and doesn't seem like good parenting.
After all, discipline is supposed to be about teaching, isn't it?

Also, reverse psychology doesn't always work. And when it does, a more
traditional discipline technique would likely have worked just as well.

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