Skip to main content

The Number One Resource Your Child Needs to Thrive?

The answer is... YOU!


At my lectures and workshops, I often tell the story of an incident that occurred when I was teaching my parenting class a few years ago.  I gave the class a simple homework assignment to see if they could find a unique and simple way of taking care of themselves that they have never done before.  It had to be something entirely new to them.  When they returned the following week to the 2nd session of the class, I asked the group, “Who did their homework and found a unique and simple way of taking care of themselves over the past week.”  Almost everyone raised a hand but when I asked if anyone would be willing to share it, most of the hands went down. 

Healing Spa Bath And Body Products Therapy Gift Basket

One mom did offer her idea.  She said, “I locked the bathroom door.” This produced laughter and giggles from the other parents, but when she further explained, she said she no longer allowed her young children to come into the bathroom with her, invading her space and privacy. Of course, we can imagine the scene, little fingers coming under the door, persistent knocking and screams of, “Mommy where are you? What are you doing?” coming from the other side of the door.  I encouraged everyone to keep it up whatever it was they were doing, including the mom with the locked bathroom door.

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Homepage


When the class returned for session #3 the next week, I asked that one mom if she was able to keep the bathroom door locked.  She replied with a hearty, “Yes!”  Delighted but a bit surprised, I asked, “What are your children doing now?”  After she had been doing this for 2 weeks, my assumption was that her children would most likely have adapted.  She said with a laugh, “I have no idea!”  This of course brought the room to laughter.  She explained that she had purchased some headphones and a portable CD player and when she was in the bathroom alone she enjoyed listening to relaxing music.  I acknowledged her success and congratulated her.  She set a clear boundary for her children to learn from and was setting a great example of taking care of herself.


 Visual schedules to help get more cooperation from your child. Use SchKIDules

So what are you doing for you? Before you walk into that classroom, when you rise in the morning to start your day with your family, what are you doing to take care of yourself?  What kind of example are you setting?  Are you walking around pulling your hair out and then wondering why your kids are behaving in a similar manner?  My point is, adult emotional chaos can create misbehavior in children.  If you have challenging behavior at home or in the classroom, do a personal check-in to see if you could be generating the behavior that is frustrating you.  You can change the scenario simply by starting with your own self care and being better equipped as a healthy caregiver in mind, body and spirit.

Parenting class you can take from anywhere?  Go to http://www.OnlineParentCoaching.com for FREE.

This is a brief excerpt from Bill Corbett’s new eBook, “10 Little-Known Facts About Kids That Will Change How You Parent Forever!”  Download the book today for just $4.99 by going to http://store.payloadz.com/go?id=1044394. 


Comments

  1. Mary-Anne Schelb, HHPSeptember 10, 2012 at 3:39 PM

    Always GREAT information Bill!!! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill CorbettSeptember 10, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    Thank you for your comment Mary-Anne and thank you for reading. I hope you will share it with your network.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

About Me

My photo
Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett is a nationally recognized parent educator, author, and speaker known for his practical and compassionate approach to raising children. He has helped countless parents, caregivers, and professionals better understand child behavior and discipline through his workshops, seminars, books, and media appearances. As the creator of the "Love, Limits & Lessons" parenting program, Corbett emphasizes respectful and effective communication, age-appropriate expectations, and the importance of emotional connection in child-rearing. His work is grounded in positive discipline strategies that foster cooperation and confidence in both children and parents.

Popular posts from this blog

Why Love and Logic has it Wrong... Again!

Children don’t often demonstrate respect because they either don’t know what it looks like or, as the Father of Individual Psychology, Alfred Adler taught us, their disrespectful behavior is their way of attempting to get unmet needs satisfied.  The secret to getting kids to treat their parents and others with respect is to first treat them with respect and to then help them find their place in the family or the classroom.  But the creators of the LOVE AND LOGIC parenting program would have you believe differently.  All parenting programs are not created equal and in my opinion, many are misguided and offer parents and teachers bad information.  It is my belief that we should not just be demanding and manipulating our kids to be more cooperative, we should be raising children who WANT to cooperate and be engaged in the family or classroom because they feel encouraged to do so. HOW TO STOP KIDS' BEGGING FOR TOYS One of those programs that frequently offers...
6 comments
Read more

When Your Child Says "I HATE YOU!"... They are Really Just Mad

You've done so much for them, slaved for them, and sacrificed for them, and then if you don't give them what they want, they get mad at you. It hardly seems fair, all the things we do for our kids and they don't appreciate it. Then we hear them say things like, "I hate you," or "I hate this house." We hear, "You're a mean mom," or "I'm mad at you!" It's common for kids to get mad at their parents but the solution is the hardest for parents to do... just let them be mad. Effective parents learn quickly that they are not their child's friend; they are their parents. But if the parents aren't prepared to hear it and know how to respond, they get defensive or they get even. Worse, they give in to regain the love the child is withholding. I was in the toy section of a department store one day, shopping for a gift for my grandson. A mom and her little boy were in the same aisle, and the little boy, about seven, was admir...
Post a Comment
Read more

When A Child Behaves Like a Cat (or Other Characters)

Children experimenting as an animal is absolutely normal. They do it because they are simply exploring or perhaps, to gain some attention. Parents should allow their children to behave like a cat at home and you as the parent, simply ignore it. If your child answers you with a meow, you can simply tell them, "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. I will listen to you when you speak like a little girl." Then just walk away. If your child enters an activity at home meowing like a cat, for example coming to the dinner table. Just calmly tell her that only people can eat at the table and when she returns to being a little girl, she will get food and the rest of the family will speak to her and listen to her again. In other words, don't try to control your child when they are in one of these exploring modes. Let it be and get involved when she tries to participate in the family. Do not meow back at her, do not crawl around on all fours with her and don'...
Post a Comment
Read more