Oh boy, kids are home, spaces shrink, there’s more to do and organize and tempers can heat up and boil over faster than the potatoes on the stove for Christmas dinner. What to do?
Everyone needs a designated quiet space—the toilet seat will do. Everyone needs to have a list of needs. Everyone needs to limit screen time because connection doesn’t happen on the phone, so have lots of other games and hobbies available. Let kids Google fun activities—everybody participates for a half an hour in that activity. Make the list of consequences for disruptive behaviors beforehand and when the kids act out, with all the kindness you can muster and love in your heart, refer to the list. Let everyone be in charge of a meal and full clean-up. As a family make a list of chores for each member—everyone’s space is everyone’s responsibility. Invite everyone to think about and maybe even make up a new tradition for the holidays. Download the gratitude games from parent resources on www.thekidcode.ca
Bless everyone’s mistakes because there will be many of them and it’s easier to be kind than cruel when a mistake is made.
See the book, The Kid Code for more info or take one of the online classes. You can do so in the time it takes to have a coffee break! Nobody wants to be around bad behaviors and correcting them with consequences, kindly given, starts to dissolve them.
1:20 Quiet spaces for each person de-escalates trouble.
1:43 List of needs for each person.
2:05 Limiting screen time is a need so have lots of games and activities on hand.
2:20 Everyone chooses activities that every participates in.
2:30 List of consequences for disruptive behaviors that do need kind correction to help keep the peace and teach the child how to be in the world.
2:55 Let everyone be in charge of a meal and clean up and list of chores.
3:16 Make a new tradition for the holidays.
3:21 Downloads available for gratitude games and ideas.
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