Parenting Tip of the Month = Making Kids Feel Appreciated and Respected
There are many ways parents can show your children how much they are
appreciated. Try the following ten ideas to show your kids how much you love
and appreciate them.
· Acknowledge their efforts more than their results.
· Listen to them and repeat back to them what you heard them say.
· Tell them their feelings are okay.
· Find good things about them that are actually true and let them know
often.
· Laugh at their jokes.
· Contribute to their collections.
· Hug them frequently but don’t force a hug if they don’t want one.
· Show up at their concerts, games, and events.
· Apologize when you have done something wrong.
. Thank them when they do nice things for you.
An outstanding resource for parents is to try to understand why
children behave the way they do. To try to do this parents should always
ask themselves, "What are their goals?" If your child's goal is
a)challenge
the positive approach is safe adventures and the negative
approach is thrill-seeking.
If it is
b)withdrawal
the positive approach is appropriate avoidance and the negative
approach is undue avoidance.
If it is
c)protection
the positive approach is assertiveness/forgiveness and the
negative approach is revenge.
If it is
d)power the positive approach is independence and the negative approach is
rebellion.
Lastly, if it is
e)contact/belonging
the positive approach is contributing/cooperating and the
negative approach is undue attention-seeking.
MY SOURCE ON THIS IS DR. MICHAEL H. POPKIN'S ACTIVE PARENTING PROGRAM.
