TIP 5: STORYTIME FOR BAD DAYS!
Sometimes my kids do stupid things, behave badly or just annoy me. I'm sure I'm not alone. So here's a tip to get the message over to them that their behaviour isn't acceptable, affects others and has consequences.
You should, of course, tell the child at the time of the incident that a: the behaviour is not acceptable, b: it annoys you, and c: there will be consequences. So do that as usual, and be as specific as possible about what exactly they did wrong, how it makes you feel, what impact it has on other people, and what the consequences and punishments are.
But then, you might still be feeling annoyed by bedtime, and your child will normally have forgotten the incident or simply moved on. So here's the perfect time to remind them and reinforce the learning!
Story time comes around, and instead of reading a story book to your child, you tell them that today you will make up a story. The story goes something like this...
"Once upon a time there was a good boy called... ", now slightly change the name of your child. e.g. My middle child is called Aaron. So let's call the little boy Darren. So no one is in any doubt as to who we are talking about!
"Once upon a time there was a good boy called ... Darren. He was well behaved, and his father loved him very much.
But one day, Darren decided that it would be fun to walk to the shops. He forgot to tell his dad where he was going, and didn't take a phone or wristwatch with him. So his dad got very worried when he didn't come back when he should have, and nearly called the police.
The dad was very upset because he thought about all the bad things that could happen to a boy alone, out late. When Darren finally returned home, Dad was relieved and happy to see him, but had to make sure that Darren knew not to do that again, so he stopped him going out on his own for a week.
Darren still loved his Dad and Dad still loved Darren, and they both agreed to still be friends.
The End."
And so, Aaron goes to sleep with these thoughts fresh in his mind, knowing that his dad loves him very much, and having been reminded of what exactly he did wrong.
If this sounds like a better end to a bad day, then try it.
BONUS TIP: This works even better for good days - stories about amazing kids (who sound like your kids), who have well behaved adventures and win at sports competitions (or enjoy taking part). So don't hold back - be as excited and creative with your story-telling as possible!
Sometimes my kids do stupid things, behave badly or just annoy me. I'm sure I'm not alone. So here's a tip to get the message over to them that their behaviour isn't acceptable, affects others and has consequences.
You should, of course, tell the child at the time of the incident that a: the behaviour is not acceptable, b: it annoys you, and c: there will be consequences. So do that as usual, and be as specific as possible about what exactly they did wrong, how it makes you feel, what impact it has on other people, and what the consequences and punishments are.
But then, you might still be feeling annoyed by bedtime, and your child will normally have forgotten the incident or simply moved on. So here's the perfect time to remind them and reinforce the learning!
Story time comes around, and instead of reading a story book to your child, you tell them that today you will make up a story. The story goes something like this...
"Once upon a time there was a good boy called... ", now slightly change the name of your child. e.g. My middle child is called Aaron. So let's call the little boy Darren. So no one is in any doubt as to who we are talking about!
"Once upon a time there was a good boy called ... Darren. He was well behaved, and his father loved him very much.
But one day, Darren decided that it would be fun to walk to the shops. He forgot to tell his dad where he was going, and didn't take a phone or wristwatch with him. So his dad got very worried when he didn't come back when he should have, and nearly called the police.
The dad was very upset because he thought about all the bad things that could happen to a boy alone, out late. When Darren finally returned home, Dad was relieved and happy to see him, but had to make sure that Darren knew not to do that again, so he stopped him going out on his own for a week.
Darren still loved his Dad and Dad still loved Darren, and they both agreed to still be friends.
The End."
And so, Aaron goes to sleep with these thoughts fresh in his mind, knowing that his dad loves him very much, and having been reminded of what exactly he did wrong.
If this sounds like a better end to a bad day, then try it.
BONUS TIP: This works even better for good days - stories about amazing kids (who sound like your kids), who have well behaved adventures and win at sports competitions (or enjoy taking part). So don't hold back - be as excited and creative with your story-telling as possible!
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