Posting Signs For The Kids?
Posted on September 27, 2007
Filed Under Parenting, Dr. Dobson's Broadcast
Just yesterday my wife and I were enjoying a beautiful autumn day in the Rocky Mountains and the conversation turned to our kids. A few of them have been a bit lazy of late, not paying enough attention to their schoolwork or household chores. That leads to some parental reminders, and those in turn become occasional arguments.
I love my children, I do! It just seems that they are, well, rather childish sometimes. Can’t forget that I was once a kid, too. One of the things we discussed on our walk was how to help manage expectations for behavior with some written guidelines.
Now, I’m not in favor of an overly rigid approach to child-rearing. I don’t care for legalistic rules that lead to unreasonable consequences for misbehavior. So I don’t want to post a “101 Rules For Being A Successful Fuller” sign on the living room wall!
I’ve observed, though, that there can be a lack of harmony in the home when guidelines are absent.
Author and parenting expert Gary Smalley has some general advice for families that can really make a difference in this regard. At first you may want to discount his suggestion that families implement a constitution - a written document that outlines how the family will behave - it does seem somewhat simplistic or perhaps too black and white. But it makes a lot of sense to me.
Here’s how Gary describes his approach:“You actually write articles of your family constitution, putting down a simple plan of how you intend to stay in love and in harmony - and you, your wife and kids agree on that plan. [Then] you type it up and put it on the wall. There’s power in the printed word … and everyday you’re reminded of it.”
Hear him describe his methodology for managing expectations and behavior in this two-part series. And check out a sample family constitution here.
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