Throw the ball in the backyard. Sometimes, children want something they cannot have at the moment. Then the child knows the wish is acceptable, but that the timing is wrong. Acknowledge positive behavior. Perhaps the most significant element of a positive approach to guiding behavior is acknowledging behaviors we want to be repeated.
Most children spend great stretches of time behaving well.
This deserves recognition. Positive recognition shows a child they can get the attention they need without misbehaving. If you find yourself spending too much time focusing on what a child is doing wrong, start shifting your attention to notice what they are doing right and comment on it. If we focus our time, attention, and energy on the positive, negative behavior will soon decrease and the positive will increase. By noticing children doing things right, we bring out the good that is already there.