Getting Your Kids to Follow Directions
Tuesday July 1, 2008
Do you ever feel like a broken record, just repeating the same cautionary tales to your children over and over? "Don't do this because... Don't do that because..." And yet, their safety is entirely on your shoulders, so of course you want to give them some gentle reminders, right?
But do you ever notice that your kids tune you out when you're repeating the same instructions over and over? I sure do! So here's what I try to do instead: I lay out the ground rules with my kids before we go anywhere. For example, before we head out to the fireworks this Friday, I'll remind them that we need to stay together, and we'll talk about what to do if we get separated. This sounds simple, but I usually ask them to repeat back to me what I've said, too, so that I know for sure that they "get it."
Do I still have to remind them? You bet! But those reminders sound more like "Do you remember what we talked about when we first got here?" than some nagging phrase repeated over and over.
For my kids, this strategy usually works really well, but it's important for you to find out what works best with your own kids, to increase their responsiveness when you give instructions. The neat thing is that summer provides so many opportunities to test this out! Between riding bikes, swimming, and playing with friends outside, there will be plenty of opportunities to lay out some guidelines for your kids and see what methods of communication result in their best cooperation.
Related Resources: If this post was helpful to you:
But do you ever notice that your kids tune you out when you're repeating the same instructions over and over? I sure do! So here's what I try to do instead: I lay out the ground rules with my kids before we go anywhere. For example, before we head out to the fireworks this Friday, I'll remind them that we need to stay together, and we'll talk about what to do if we get separated. This sounds simple, but I usually ask them to repeat back to me what I've said, too, so that I know for sure that they "get it."
Do I still have to remind them? You bet! But those reminders sound more like "Do you remember what we talked about when we first got here?" than some nagging phrase repeated over and over.
For my kids, this strategy usually works really well, but it's important for you to find out what works best with your own kids, to increase their responsiveness when you give instructions. The neat thing is that summer provides so many opportunities to test this out! Between riding bikes, swimming, and playing with friends outside, there will be plenty of opportunities to lay out some guidelines for your kids and see what methods of communication result in their best cooperation.
Related Resources: If this post was helpful to you:
Comments
No comments yet. Leave a Comment