Tip for the holidays.

Our family went to pick out “the perfect” tree together, one of our traditions. Everyone piles in the car in search for the “Holy Tree!” Arguments use to ensue about who got “shotgun” BEFORE we even got out the door. So one of the things we have learned to do is to ask the questions before we leave. Here are some: “How do we want this experience to sound like and feel like?” I try to stay as quiet as humanly possible to let my children come up with the answers. (Super glue for lips would be a good invention for mom’s like me who talk too much!) I would often have to ask, “Do we want fighting or no fighting? And what should we do if there is fighting?” I also added the word complaining to that question.

This “preemptive strike” on parent’s part can be very effective for creating more peace in the family. I highly recommend it.

How is your Holiday Challenge coming? I would love to hear about your experiences. What happened? How did you feel? How did your family respond?

Warmly,

Kathryn Kvols

Author of “Redirecting Children’s Behavior”