James is a two-year-old boy who used to frequently whine. The author noticed an improvement when she started acknowledging James and praising him every time he spoke without whining. This encouragement was challenging but resulted in a reduction of James' whining over time, as he became aware of his habit and made an effort to speak differently. Now, while James is not completely whine-free, he has greatly improved at expressing himself in a calmer way through the author's positive reinforcement.

1. James is two years old. He used to whine a lot. The most
challenging times were when James was tired or hungry.

2. It has been a constant struggle to encourage James to speak
consistently without whining.
Until I took this module, I had acknowledged James when he
whined and attempted to correct him.

3. I changed my strategy and
began acknowledging him
every time he spoke without
whining. I noticed
improvement.
It was challenging remembering
to give James a thumbs-up or
an "Alright!" every time he
spoke without whining, but my
perseverance paid off.
Very slowly I noticed a
reduction in James' whining. He
started to stop himself and try
again when he made a
statement.

4. "Can I please have some toast?"
He became aware of his whining and was making an effort to stop.
"Alright James! First try and you used your big voice!"

5. James still isn't whine free, but
he has greatly improved.
By focusing on the positive and
acknowledging it with non-
verbal recognition as well as
factual statements, I was able to
help James express himself in a
way that was easier for
everybody.
Sage D'Aquila Kleinhanz
Project of Understanding
Module D1
Expressing Warmth to Children