Proactive Approach

So today I tried the proactive approach with David. Whenever I saw him heading down that path of wanting to throw a fit I tried to redirect him.

Example: Joshua was asleep during dinner so David got one-on-one time for his meal. However, when Joshua woke up, David was not ready to share the spotlight. Instead of waiting for the "bad" behavior to come I instead got him focused on being my helper. It was his job to tell Joshua to open up for the yummy food & he got to pick what item of food we fed to Joshua next. He got so wrapped up in being a little "cheerleader" that he forgot to be upset. I kept telling him what a good job he did at helping me feed Joshua & he started doing his happy dance every time Joshua would pick up his own food & eat it with a grin.

This may not always work. It certainly took more effort to be creative on the fly & more aware of the early warning signs. However, I am all for any technique that rewards the good instead of having to punish the bad.