Happy New Year! I hope you've had a safe and happy holiday with your loved ones. I sure did. So many of you sent me notes, cards, emails or tweets sharing pictures of your children and showing gratitude for how I've helped your families. That is so gratifying and touching to hear. Thank you all for letting me know my work is making a difference in the world.
Now that it's New Years Day, many of you will be making resolutions, revisiting what's important and setting new goals for the year. I thought it might be a good idea to share with you the check list from my new book, coming out in Feb 2011 called Ain't Misbehavin' (you can pre-order here). Here is an excerpt:
Here is a list of best practices you should be working towards incorporating into your family life to achieve a democratic family rich in mutual respect, caring and co-operation:
Best Practices Family Check List
- De-stress your family. Reduce your commitments, live within your means, simplify, downsize, slow down and relax.
- Create opportunities for family fun together - all of you, engaging in non-competative family fun times as much as you can squeeze in.
- Create rituals and traditions for your family
- Spend special time with each child, but especially your discouraged and misbehaving child.
- Find each child's unique qualities and strengths. Help them develop those attributes in ways that can benefit the family and others.
- Give children jobs and responsibilities
- Find ways for children to participate in and contribute to family life
- Establish a budgeted allowance for each child
- Commit to weekly family meetings as a place make family decisions together
- View difficulties as problems that need solutions instead of creating consequences
- Adopt an attitude of that views mistakes as opportunities to learn, rather than failure.
- Encourage instead of praise
- Act in self-respecting ways, treat others with respect
- Model healthy, co-operative, loving relationships by having one with your partner, parents and friends
- Give gratitude and focus on what what is working and down grade what isn't yet
- Maintain and "other/community" focus instead of a "me/us" focus.
Love your list - all great parenting goals to shoot for in the New Year. -Bill
Posted by: FamZoo | January 04, 2011 at 11:09 PM