Phrases to get your child to finally “hurry up!”

Children work at their own time. We know that. They don’t care about our timelines, our own rush, our obligations, or our busy schedules. Whatever they are doing to pass their time is much more enjoyable than rushing to the car to go do an adult obligation that they don’t care about. Food shopping? Such a chore. Drive their sibling to their extra lesson? What a bore! Going to buy a present for someone else and not them? Pff the unfairness of the world! 

“Hurry up or you’ll make us late” is the least helpful phrase for children - especially considering they have no comprehension of time yet, nor do they care about being late. They live in the here and now, because they are children. They definitely don’t comprehend our priorities or our timeliness. 

So, instead of letting stress consume you, and shouting to your child for the millionth time (and them not moving any faster), take a deep breath, and use a more appealing phrase for your child. Read on for ideas! 

• “Want to race me to the car?”

• “Let‘s put on a timer, as if you’re a race car driver. Guess how many minutes will … take you?”

• “I’ll be back in two minutes. You might be all done by then!”

• “Do you want to run to … or do you prefer to skip there?”

• “Want to have a nose nuzzle between each step on the way there?”

• “Whoever finds your socks/pants first, gets to pick the music we hear in the car!”