When my daughter was little and in day care, she started biting and pinching. I stood by and watched for awhile through the window, and saw that she was just wanting attention. A younger baby was getting fed and she tried a number of things to get attention, which didn't work.

At home, I tried explaining, but that didn't work. And then I had an idea, something that she could do to get attention in a more constructive way. A song. A song that she could sing. It goes like this:

I sing for attention, please give some to me, me, me.
I used to bite and pinch, but now I can sing, sing, sing.
I sing for attention, please give some to me.

Although she didn't know all the words at first, she knew enough that she could sing, "I sing for attention." She loved it. She felt empowered that she had a way to get some attention.

When she was nearing the toddler stage and I gave simple instructions, she started just running off to play or do whatever. I didn't want to be yelling after her or chasing after her either, I knew she liked songs and singing, soooo, I started singing instructions. She always stopped for a song and gladly listened. For instance:

We pick up our toys after our play,
and then we put them away.

The teeth were coming in and brushing teeth was quite entertaining. My daughter wanted to close her mouth and chew on the toothbrush. I don't blame her, but I also wanted to brush her teeth. The toothbrush song became:

When we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, we keep our mouth open.
When we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, we keep our mouth open.

And I also demonstrated with my mouth what open meant. : )

My daughter was maturing and noticing more. The thunder that had ocurred the previous summer hadn't phased her. But that Spring day of her third year, the thunder sent her running. I explained about thunder, that it was just a noise with the rain. That didn't help a bit. It thundered again, I picked her up, and she held on tight.

I knew I need something for her to do so that I could finish with the food that was cooking on the stove. I got an idea.

I sat her back down on the floor and told her we could make our own thunder. I started saying, "Boom, boom, boom," and then I added stomping my feet. She started giggling and saying, "Boom, boom, boom," and stomped her feet too. She was happy again and ran back into the living room making her own thunder.