Are Your Kids Driving You Crazy? How Character Building Charts Keep You Sane
Who lives in your house? Are they driving you "crazy?" Do you have a Winnie the Whiner, a Sammy the Slacker, or a Bubba the Bully? Perhaps you've yelled, you've lectured, and you've even spanked to get your Winnie to stop whining, your Sammy to do his chores, and your Bubba to stop hurting his little brother. How can you get your Peter the Cheater to play fair, your Larry the Liar to tell the truth or your Tilly the Tattle to mind her own business? Our greatest task as parents is to raise children with strong healthy characters. Let's find out how Character-Building Charts helped one mother and how they can help you too. I remember counseling a young boy who was a 'Sammy the Slacker.' One day his teacher confided, "When I tell my class, 'Children, please take out your readers,' Sammy leans back in his chair, his arms hanging over its back, and calls out, 'I can't find my book!' Sure enough, a little girl scrambles over, looks his messy desk, and finds it for him." Sammy irritated his teacher, lost the respect of his classmates, and had no friends. These are not the consequences most parents want for their children. To help Sammy, I worked with his parents, especially his mother. I found out that her mother and grandmother believed it was their duty to be servants to their families. They were to pick up after everyone, do all the housework, and be happy too. Sammy's mom finally understood that she was spoiling her child, making him weak, dependent, and distasteful to others. She decided to turn off the internal voices of her mother and grandmother. Sammy's mother did three things: 1. Wrote out age-appropriate chores for Sammy 2. Created a chart to help build his character 3. Worked with Sammy to choose a goal for his chart Sammy's mother learned that goals must be clear, simple, and positive. At the top of Sammy's chart he wrote, "My goal is to do my own work and then help others." Sammy's mom strengthed her bond with Sammy by: 1. Offering stickers for his chart 2. Creating a cost-free bonding activity list 3. Offering Sammy the choice of a bonding activity to do together when he earned a certain number of stickers Once the chart was created, they posted it on the refrigerator. Sammy's mom knew she had to encourage his improvements by: 1. Being consistent in rewarding Sammy. 2. Offering his stickers soon after he completed a task 3. Scheduling his bonding activity soon after he earned enough stickers Because Sammy's mom was positive and consistent in rewarding him, he went from being Sammy the Slacker to becoming Sammy the Helper. His teacher sent home reports of improvement and, slowly but surely, Sammy made friends. Whether you have a Billy the Blamer, a Gretta the Greedy, or a child with some other problem behavior, consider using CHARACTER-BUILDING CHARTS. You'll be teaching your child responsibility, self-discipline, and teamwork. You'll even enjoy finding out who lives in your house. You'll be saner and happier and you'll be building character too. Character Building Charts and a Bonding Activities List have been created for your convenience. About the Author: Jean Tracy, Edmonds, WA, USA Jean Tracy,MSS, invites you to build character in young hearts and growing minds. To raise awesome kids with solid characters, sign up for her FREE Parenting Newsletter. Download her FREE bonding activities, parenting tips, and parenting articles at, http://www.KidsDiscuss.com
MORE RESOURCES:
New class at North Shore Yoga designed for childrenChattanooga Times Free Press, TN - 13 hours agoA children’s yoga class unravels more noisily than adult versions of this ancient Indian practice. “There are a lot of active poses,” said Claire Mooney, ... |
Something in the way he livedNewsday, NY - 9 hours agoBY ROBERT KAHN | robert.kahn@newsday.com A Hofstra University professor who studied yoga with George Harrison leads a tribute concert to the late Beatles ... |
Teacher uses yoga to inspire studentsSun-Sentinel.com, FL - 9 hours ago"Yoga is a powerful tool to help students and teachers relieve stress and gain inner strength and concentration," she said. "The sessions are brief, ... |
Yoga in a chairLouisville Courier-Journal, KY - 8 hours agoBy Darla Carter • dcarter@courier-journal.com • November 20, 2008 If the idea of getting down on the floor to strike a yoga pose makes you say, "Ouch! ... |
Ventura Harbor Village hosts outdoor yogaVentura County Reporter, CA - 12 hours agoBy Alex Wilson 11/20/2008 Yoga enthusiasts mix their routines with sunshine, ocean air and views of sailboats gliding by during a series of “Gentle Outdoor ... |
Yoga Could be DangerousKUTV, UT - 19 hours agoAt first glance, yoga may look hard, even painful. And if you are not careful, you could really hurt yourself. Studies show that yoga can help you gain ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The ADHD Parents Guide: Questions for the School
Here is something that you might want to keep if you are thinking about changing your child's school next fall or if you are planning to have your child tested by the school in the near future. Let me say this, if you are planning to have your child tested by your district, do not put off doing the paperwork.
Psychological Effects of Child Abuse
Many children who suffer from the psychological effects of child abuse often become child abusers themselves or can become perpetrators of violent crimes. Many inmates in our jails and prisons have been victims of child abuse.
ADHD: Some Survival Strategies for Parents
In our last issue we posted some of our suggested Survival Strategies for parents, and then asked readers to contribute some of their thoughts or tips. Since this newsletter is already running pretty long, I'll only list a few of them below.
The Secrets To Improving Childrens Behaviour
Most parents at some stage are driven to distraction by one or more of their children's annoying habits or behaviours, whether it is a toddler who continually whines, a school-aged child who leaves clothes lying around or a teenager who uses a less than pleasant vocabulary.How to affect change is a challenge for many parents.
Develop Your Childs Genius - Developing Leadership Qualities
Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made. Do you think this is true? How many times did you read a biography of a great leader, and discovered that as a child, he has been quiet, reserved and rather shy? Are those natural qualities of a leader? Of course not! These people have developed their leadership qualities later in life.
How Useful Are Bed Wetting Alarms
Whenever parents discuss how to deal with bed wetting, the topicof alarms inevitably gets raised. Bed wetting alarms can be usefuldevices, but in spite of the popularity with which they getdiscussed, they should not really be considered a first line option.
Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills
Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both know we're responsible for our children's social lives as well as our own. As homeschoolers, we also know that kids don't need public school pressure in order to find friends .
Gaining a Child's Trust
My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks ago. They were having a blast playing in the freezing cold water as I tiptoed around the waves, trying to keep my feet from becoming frost bitten.
Using Pocket-money To Promote Independence In Kids
In seminars I am often asked about pocket-money and whether it should be earned or only given when children behave well.My belief is that children should receive pocket-money as their small share of the family-wealth just as they should share the workload at home.
Jammin with Your Kids: The Wonderful World of Music
Does music need to be "dumbed-down" for kids? The answer became quite clear to me and my husband as we observed how our own child responded to complex melodies and varied musical styles in the first months of her life.When I embarked on the recording of my children's music CD ("Wake Up & Go To Sleep", Artsong Music) shortly after my daughter was born, it didn't occur to me to create a happy little watered down collection of songs made just for young listeners.
The Reticular Activating System, and its Role in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
In our last article about the neurology of ADHD we began to introduce the reader to the system in the brain known as the Reticular Activating System. The Reticular Activating System is the "attention center" in the brain.
Are Parents Trying Too Hard?
One of the implications of the current trend toward smaller families is that we now have a generation of parents who are willing to go to enormous lengths to give their children a good start in life.In the rush to ensure that children have a maximum amount of experiences many parents ferry children from one lesson to another after school and on weekends.
Meeting The True Needs of Children Diagnosed As ADHD
How should one look upon Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and what is the effective way to aid those who are given this diagnosis? There has been considerable debate as to whether or not ADHD is a genuine disorder. Psychiatrist and professor Robert Hedaya (1996, pg.
Social Engineering via Robotic Toddlers
Is there a way to build a robot to help toddlers and pre-schoolers learn proper social behavior without the parents intervention? A robotic friend so to speak; one, which will play with the child and explore colors and shapes. Perhaps build legos? Now before you say I am wacked, let's discuss this.
Parenting Your Teenager: Truth or Lie?
Attention all parents of teen-agers. Here is an important, groundbreaking and even shocking bulletin for you:According to research conducted at the prestigious-sounding Josephson Institute of Ethics in, of course, California, here are two startling pieces of information:1) 92 percent of teens surveyed admitted to lying to their parents at least once in the last year.
After the Driving School
If you visit search engines you can find several resources to assist you on this subject. Try searching on the phrase "parents with teen drivers".
I Dont Believe in ADHD
O.K.
Helping Your Child Cope With A Long-Term Illness
All children will likely have many different health problems during infancy and childhood: the flu, chicken pox, broken bones, stitches, ear infections, to name a few. For most children, these problems are mild - they come and go without incident and with little disruption in a child's daily life or routine.
A Chance for a Home
"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." - Johann von GoetheHome.
Child Communication Skill: Do You Really Know What Your Child Is Saying To You?
Here's the scene of communication with your child: your three-year-old boy is bawling his eyes out. Hurriedly, you run over, and ask "What's wrong?".
|
