Kids really enjoy exporing, playing and even....making a mess! This is great for development and many other needed skills however, it can be a nightmare for most parents and teachers! Here are some tips that can help make this daily concept more successful.

4 CLEAN UP TIME TIPS 

1.)     DISCUSS - talk to kids ahead of time to let them know the new expectations (give them a demo)
2.)     FUN - Sing a special ‘clean-up’ song, show visual cues, use a bell or chime to signify clean up time 
3.)     COUNTDOWN - give a five minute warning before the clean-up time begins 
4.)     TEAMWORK - offer to help as cleaning the whole mess can be daunting

Sitting at the table for mealtimes can be very challenging for children and even more challenging for their Parents! There can be a lot of undesirable behaviour that crops up during this time. Be clear on WHAT the expectations are and WHAT will happen if children choose not to follow them.

TIPS FOR TABLE MANNERS

1.) DISCUSS what you expect from them
2.) DEMONSTRATE how to do it
3.) MODEL the same, appropriate manner
4.) Use VISUALS as a positive reminder
5.) Be clear on what the CHOICES are
6.) FOLLOW THROUGH with appropriate changes or options if needed

 Contact or learn more about Julie Romanowski - Mother, Coach, Leader, Educator, Author, Speaker & founder of Miss Behaviour: parenting coach & consultant services.

www.missbehaviour.ca
778-996-6535

Crying, throwing food, climbing under the table, needing a toy to play with, eating cookies or holding out for dessert....sound familiar? 

Success at mealtime has little to do with food and a lot to do with the behaviours of the Parent & the Child. A lot of Parents have anxiety around mealtimes and find it very frustrating. Creating a plan with expectations and a routine can provide structure which can improve mealtimes all together. With out clear rules and a strategy to follow through with, it can become very challenging! This can lead to confusion, which leads to frustration, which can then lead to kids 'acting out'. Different behaviours can pop up because kids may be feeling anxious and  insecure. 

4 TIPS TO CREATE A MORE SUCCESSFUL MEALTIME

1.) RULES -  create some simple rules and stick to them
2.) CHOICES - offer food choices that are reasonable 
3.) PARTICIPATION - allow kids to help out either cooking, setting the table or dishing food
4.) CONNECTION - ensure you are talking and enjoying the meal together with your child

Contact or learn more about Julie Romanowski - Mother, Coach, Leader, Educator, Author, Speaker & founder of Miss Behaviour: parenting coach & consultant services.

www.missbehaviour.ca
778-996-6535

Kids not listening?
Hearing the word ‘NO’ all the time? 
Kids refusing the everyday routine?

3 TIPS FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION
 ·        1.) NOTIFICATION - Give enough warning time when something is about to change to allow time for kids to 'process' what is about to happen. For example: “In 5 minutes we will be going back inside for lunch.” Ask them to repeat back so you know they heard you and understood.
 ·        2.) GIVE CHOICES -  Avoid asking a question that requires a Yes or No answer.  Replace it with a choice with in your desired expectation. For example: Instead of asking “Are you hungry?” try saying, “It’s time for breakfast. Do you want cereal or toast?”
 ·       3.) FOLLOW THROUGH - Use the ‘first and then’ approach to help children understand what is expected. Try saying “first brush your teeth, and then we’ll read a book.”

Contact or learn more about Julie Romanowski - Mother, Coach, Leader, Educator, Author, Speaker & founder of Miss Behaviour: parenting coach & consultant services.

www.missbehaviour.ca
778-996-6535

You can 'de-code' tantrums by sorting them into 2 separate groups. The first is 'TANTRUM PREVENTION' and the second is 'TANTRUM RESPONSE'.

PART 1. ) TANTRUM PREVENTION
Tantrum prevention is an important piece of the puzzle as this will be a 'proactive' approach which can help decrease tantrums tremendously if not stop them all together. It will be more effective in tackling tantrums versus not doing any prevention and be left dealing with them constantly which is a 'reactive' approach. 

   A.) Increase Sleep - 
One of the main issues behind behaviour in children is lack of adequate sleep. This is a huge issue for a lot of Parents who just seem to 'put up with it' because they don't know what else to do. Toddlers are needing about 12-14 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period for proper growth & development and to just function normally on a daily basis.. {Infants about 14-16 hours and preschoolers about 10-12 hours}. Ensure your child is getting enough sleep as this will help diminish tantrums and behaviours.

 B.) Increase Routine - 
You may have several routines already but if your little tot is misbehaving or having a lot of tantrums, they may not be effective enough. At this early age you can't have enough routines. Children but especially toddlers, thrive on structure and routine. Being able to 'predict' what is going to happen next is a critical component to a child's learning and understanding.

 C.) Increase Attention -
There is a good chance that even though you may be spending every waking minute ( and night time too) with your child, there may not be enough 'attention' in the 'tank'. This is your quality, one-on-one time that you spend with your child with no other distractions or items on the agenda accept for making a true connection. Many Parents admit that this is lacking on a daily basis because they just think they are with them all the time anyway, so what difference does it make. There is a huge difference when you 'top up the tank' of attention as this builds attachment, connection and trust. 

Click here to continue reading PART 2 of Decoding Tantrums >>>>>

Children screaming, yelling and hitting all day long can leave a lot of Parents feeling frustrated, fed up and stressed! Here are 3 easy ways to help children increase their communication to help keep a more pleasant atmosphere with in the home. 

     1.)     Encourage children to speak instead of 'acting out'.

For example:  Try to ask them to “Use your words!” This may help get their message across in an appropriate way. Explain that no one understands hitting, screaming or yelling but they understand words. If they are young, give them the words to copy such as “Billy, say to your sister ‘I don’t like it’ instead of using your hands”.

     2.)     Ask your children what they DO want rather than focus on  what they don’t want.

For example, if they do the typical whining or screaming when you say it’s bedtime, instead of focusing on not wanting to go to bed, ask them what they do want like story time or turn their sleep time music on. By talking about what they do want, it can leave them feeling more empowered and in control and can leave you feeling more calm.

     3.)     Give CHOICES by giving kids 2 options with in the desired outcome that you are expecting.

For example:  If it’s time to get dressed in the morning, the choices would be ‘do you want the yellow or purple shirt’ OR ‘do you want to choose the clothes or do you want me to?’ Try to avoid asking them if they want to get dressed or not. It would be too easy for them to just say ‘no’ leaving you with a potential power struggle.

Try having a discussion with kids beforehand to let them know new things are happening. This may help them to know what the expectations are. Kids usually love this new found power once they see that they are being heard.​

Contact or learn more about Julie Romanowski - Mother, Coach, Leader, Educator, Author, Speaker & founder of Miss Behaviour: parenting coach & consultant services.

www.missbehaviour.ca
778-996-6535