working around positive parenting
Posted 11th May 2010 by Kaybeejaenq
So these days everyone knows that a smack on the hand may scar your child for life (don’t get me started on how badly the electrical socket they were playing with would have alternately scarred them if I hadn’t smacked their hand instead!!!), so inkeeping with the “power of positive parenting” concept I have been trying to work out the best way to leave the least number of scars on my children.
I think I may have hit upon an idea which fulfills all the criteria for encouraging good behaviour.
So here it is in case in the future some one else has a similar issue and would like an idea (we all know I hate to keep things to myself!)
Storm, yes, my darling gorgeous sweet and loveable and incredibly aggravating 8 year old who still drives me absolutely insane in the mornings with her stuffing around and not doing things like oh getting dressed.
The issue has become so big that its actually interfering not only with her sister getting to kindergarten but also with me being ready for work in the mornings, so much so that I ended up having a cold shower downstairs this morning whilst she wallowed in all the hot water upstairs just because I am soooooooo sick of starting my day dirty and angry (I chose clean and angry instead).
So in an attempt to stop the incredible amount of mucking around I have created a schedule.
- 7am Get up, have shower, get dressed.
- 7.15am come downstairs and wake up mum, make breakfast, eat breakfast
- 7.30am brush hair and teeth
- 7.45am free time -NO TV
- 8.15am put on shoes, get bag, get in car
Short sweet and simple!!!
How pray tell will it fulfill positive and politically correct parenting???
Well, I am teaching my daughter to take responsibility for herself but at the same time I am enabling her need to spend time with me in a positive way i.e. when she comes to wake me up she will already have done the bits that take the longest and so I shall be happy to see her (and happy to know that I can shower!).
I have made it clear that there is a reward for using the least amount of time to get herself organised “free time”.
I have also attempted to take out the “for goodness sakes get a move on” which eventually has been known to disintegrate into “for F*** sakes, I’ve had enough get in the car now I don’t care if you are naked its your own fault for messing around and trying to sneakily watch tv while I had a 30 second cold shower at 8am when work arrives at 8.05am”.
So, I’ll let you know if it works, I hope it does.
1 comment so far...
Good luck!
I hope it goes well for you. I'm sure it will!
Flag as inappropriate Posted by cat on 17th May 2010