Get Your Foot in the Door

The foot-in-the-door technique is a smart way to help your child accomplish a big, or perhaps overwhelming, task. It’s based off an old door-to-door salesman technique. Here’s how it works: Start by asking your child for something small. If they are able to accomplish your first small request, they will be more likely to respond to and accomplish your next and bigger request. Or, modified for some students, string together a bunch of smaller tasks in order to accomplish a bigger task. For example:

Go clean up your room. Big request.
Get your clothes off the floor and into the hamper. Manageable request.

Sit down and get your homework done. Big request.
Pick one assignment to get done before dinner. Manageable request.

Organize your backpack and binders. Big request.
Gather all loose papers and recycle those you don’t need anymore. Manageable request.