This is a negotiating technique.
I first heard of its use in business. If it has a technical name, I don’t know of it. I call it: Two Choices Technique. But trust me, my Kung Fu is strong and, Two Choices Technique works in parenting and in the classroom. If you’ve ever been in a discussion of the rules with a child and the conversation seemed to derail into an unwanted negotiation or a fight, you could have used this tool. And that’s all it is, just another tool in the toolbox of the skillful negotiator. I’ve used it on children of all ages (yes, even with the hard guys – that’s coming in a later post) but it’s easiest to understand and learn when you see how I used it with 2 year old Charlotte.