1. Agree!
Example: “Sure, Cindy! As soon as you finish washing your hands, you can have a cookie!”

2. Give a choice!
Example: “It sounds like you really want a cookie. You can have a bite of a cookie right now or a whole cookie after you wash your hands.”

3. Offer a choice!
Example: “You have two choices: strawberries or carrots.”

4. Distract (Good for some)
Example: “Oh look, the bird is outside. I think she must have a nest.”

5. Commiserate!
Example: “I know! It’s a drag having to wash our hands before eating but it’s the rule.” (You may want to wash with them.)

6. Give them a “coupon”
Example: Give them a picture of a cookie and tell them that’s their coupon/ticket to get a cookie when they finish washing their hands.

7. Let’s look at our schedule!
Example: “Oh!  That’s what I thought. The schedule says to wash hands and then eat cookies.”

8. Appeal to reason!
Example: “Your hands have germs on them. I don’t want you to get sick from eating a cookie.”

9. Use action words and get them on a roll!
Example: “Look you are almost done! Put your hands in the water.” 

10. Sportscast!
Example: “You are throwing the food. That tells me you are done. I’ll just put the food away.”

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