What Did You Really Want for Mother’s Day?
Breakfast? Cards? Those are nice…but it’s possible that what you really wanted was for the snack dishes to make it into the dishwasher by themselves, the coats and shoes to make it off of the mudroom floor, and the toys to make their way into the toy box.
If that’s what you want, it is not too late. Moms often find themselves wishing daily that something would change (less back-talk, more respect, for example). Now’s the time to use these tools and teach the change we want.
- Know what needs to change. How will the new behaviour look? Is it an action or a new piece of language (please and thank you?) Is it age-appropriate for your kids? Do you need to start with baby steps or can you go right to the new behaviour?
- Create a plan with your kids and share your vision. Say: when I walk into the house, I want to see a clear floor with coats on hooks and shoes in their place. How can we make that happen? If you’ve got young kids that need help in figuring this out, work with them. Use their suggestions as kids tend to buy in more when they have made the suggestion.
- Devise the cues. How will this happen? Will there be a new sign on the back door? Will you cue them as you pull into the driveway? Work together to find a respectful script for everyone, along with consequences. (Maybe no-one leaves the back hall until things are in their place).
You: Where do your shoes and coats need to go when you get inside?
Them: Coats on the hook, shoes on the mat’got it mom!
4. Plan the start and the check in. Confirm when they will get started and mark the calendar for a quick consult in a couple of days, just to see if anything needs to be re-jigged.
Change doesn’t have to be hard and it can make things a whole lot easier!
