Flip the Script

If you have an inflexible child who’s used to doing things in a certain order and/or has a hard time seeing alternative ways of doing things, try flipping the script on him for practice. For example:

• Ask him to change the order in which he prepares his cereal (pour the milk before adding the cereal or vice versa).
• Change the rules of a game (make the lower hand win in a game of War or go backwards in Monopoly).
• Have your child map out a different route home from school.

These shifts will undoubtedly be uncomfortable for your child at first, but he will begin to see that there are multiple ways of approaching a task. Ultimately, it will open him up to trying new strategies and approaches when the situation calls for flexible thinking.