If you're anything like me, managing your children's behavior is an ebb and flow type of thing. You are on top of your game one day and a sorry loser the next. There are days I feel like I really know my stuff, mother of the year material, yeah, that's me. Other days my children reduce me to a hollering, driveling meanie who is reaching for the cheap chardonnay the minute they have gone to bed. I know what I need to do, what I am supposed to do, what the right thing to do is, I hear myself sounding like a broken record, it's just sometimes I am too tired to do the right thing, affirm the positive, be firm, get on their level, send them to timeout. Sometimes it's just easier to yell at them from the kitchen or my pile of laundry or whatever chore I am doing than it is to stop what I am doing, walk over to wherever they are wreaking havoc, and properly and positively discipline them. Instead, yelling, "DIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVAAAAAAAAAA, EEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, whatever you are doing STOOOOOOOPPPPPPP it, and stop bothering each other or I am going to come in there and you will be SSSOOOOORRRRRRYYYYYYY."
When UberGeek and I are on our game one of the things we keep up with is a behavior chart for each of the kiddos. My mother inspects it when she visits to make sure the items on it are phrased positively. So instead of writing, "No beat downs on your sibling." My mother might phrase it, "Use hands for loving." Where you might write, "No talking back" my mom would phrase it, "Speak to adults in a positive and respectful way." She's really good at that having worked in the school system for many years. It takes some getting used to but it does send a more positive message.
I thought I would share our simple behavior chart with you. It's Excel based and you can change the font colors, text colors and picture for any holiday or character your child likes. Happy holidays from me to you!
