#15 of 20 Tips…. Let them see you doing or having done what you ask of them

If we couch many of our lessons/teachings to our children as ‘rites of passage’ into adulthood, I think we would get more cooperation, less resistance. There is nothing a child wants more than to hurry up and be an adult. I remember it well.

Consider the household chores we ask them to do, the respect we ‘demand’ they show, the grades we want them to aspire to in school… Tell them stories of your experiences in various instances and segments of learning in these areas that you had with YOUR parents. Tell the funny stories, the sad stories, the thing you’ll never forget and why!

For instance, as a little girl, I loved to ‘tell it’. I’d tattle tell to gain favor. Once, too often I guess, I ran my mouth about something my Mother did not want told or maybe it was backtalk or curse words. She trotted me into the bathroom and washed my mouth out with soap! As I got older, she would tell me to "think before you speak". Everytime she said that, I’d remember the ‘mouthwash’ and would diligently remember to do it.

When my Son was coming up, I don’t recall ever having to give him a ‘mouthwash’ but I do recall asking him if he wanted me to wash his mouth out with soap. He declined the offer and I didn’t have to make that offer to him ever again. He is a smart guy. I could literally see him ‘thinking before he spoke’ from then on. He got testy as he grew taller than me but alternate reminders of manners and respect cut those episodes short. Besides, I made a point of him watching me lift heavy weights on a regular basis. He already knew I am cunning.

So, do you share the funny stories from your childhood with your child(ren)?