1. Read difficult behavior as a signal. Geoff asks what's missing from the child's environment, and what you can supply so the behavior stops being necessary.
2. Stand in benign authority. That's Geoff's term for the calm, settled place a parent stands no matter what a child says or does, and your child depends on you to hold it.
3. You don't have to answer every rude moment. Keep providing the right environment and carry on, and over time the behavior starts to settle.
4. It isn't your child's job to confirm you're a good parent. If a four-year-old's words wound you, ask why you've handed her that power.
5. When your child calls and the task can wait, stop and go to them. "In a minute" doesn't make sense to a young child, and being close beats shouting down the stairs.

"It's not her job to confirm your ability and success as a parent." - Geoff Owen

"When a child's rude to you, you've got to do something about it. When actually you don't." - Geoff Owen

"The things that we want from our children, they've already got. It's all there, just like the seed." - Geoff Owen