Polly Bath: Let’s say you ask a child to do something, and when they finally do, they give a big sigh about it!

We don’t like that. BUT, if they’re doing what I’ve asked them to do, then their sigh isn’t a huge crime. At that moment, as long as you’re getting compliance, that kid is just taking back a little control by sighing. And sometimes it’s worth letting them have it.

This doesn’t mean that I won’t pull the kid aside later and say, “When you are going to do something and you sigh about it, that can be viewed as disrespectful.”

But if you take away all of the control, you’re always going to be in a fight!