I am working on a gift for my daughter who’s birthday is right around the corner. I don’t have much cash on me so I jumpstarted my creative side and started hunting Pinterest. I was brainstorming things that my daughter enjoys and remembered a reoccuring conversation about how she has wanted to spend additional time with me. When I have asked her to spend time she has repeatedly stated she wasn’t interested. So, I am faced with the conundrum of her stating she wants time, but then not wanting to act on it. I was inspired to make some “coupons” for her to cash in for select mom time. I used this template on Publisher to make mine custom with things that she and I have enjoyed doing together. http://myexceltemplates.com/birthday-gift-coupons/
This took me down the rabbit hole of ways to allow my children to express their needs. Often we end up with grumpy, frustrated kids that when asked are unsure what they need. How do we teach children how to understand and express their needs? Using the same template I created need coupons for all the kids. These include activities such as: help with a chore, a hug, reading a book, time with someone, sleep, cuddles, time to themselves, etc. I will probably update these over time once we figure out what works best for the kids. The idea is that they can snag a “coupon” and turn it in to an adult to express a need they have. This is the science side of parenting. Create a hypothesis, create a way to test your hypothesis, test it, analyze your results, rinse and repeat! This idea might connect really well with one of the kids and not so much with the others. My four year old, who cannot read yet, will likely snag the first one he can. I think that will still be useful in allowing him an outlet to express various needs and start to recognize the words on the coupons as well. Overall, a win win.
This rabbit hole also led me to a neat website that encourages creating Calm Down Kits. I have sent the kids to their rooms to have time to process their feelings and calm down. It often feels like a punishment to send them away. Creating a means for them to explore ways to calm themselves when sent to their room encourages this growth and creates a more positive experience for everyone. Here’s the link to check it out https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2016/04/what-to-put-in-a-calm-down-kit-for-kids.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1Ws2-8VplstrRNbNe_Ok08uIptEXqGctykvCnx8JZUq1G_-zaeyb1OeSg
I hope you have enjoyed this rabbit hole with me and it has inspired you to find fun, creative ways to help guide your kids towards positive growth.
Monologue in AFOG 