It's a childs greatest fear to get left behind or separated from his parents in a public place. When our child is acting up or not cooperating we may be tempted to use this fear as a form of leverage to get them to do as we ask. Before we do this perhaps we should ask ourselves what our own greatest fear is and how we would feel if a loved one confronted us with it. When we do this it becomes clear that it is not the right thing to do.

Its far more effective to acknowledge your childs feelings in this situation. To do this effectively squat down at eye level next to your child, touch their hand or shoulder and talk with them as if they were an adult. Your tone of voice is an important way to communicate your message that you really do want them to hurry up. This is usually effective even if your toddler is too young to understand your words. The effect is even more pronounced with older children.