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Expect The Best
Monday, October 03, 2011 by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
I expect the best from my child. Always do, always will.
Do you ever think about what makes a child excel during their formal school years?
What influences a person to succeed in college or simply be happy and healthy in life?
How did they get there?
What skills do they have?
What skills will they need?
I watch families. I study their interactions. This, combined with a solid educational foundation in child and family development makes me, well, a bit of a crazy lady when it comes to my passion about working in the best interest of my and your kiddos.
Success in life isn't just about being "smart." In fact, I believe that more important than teaching kiddos facts and figures is teaching them how to learn, thrive, bounce back, and land on their feet. It's teaching them that they CAN succeed.
Yes, there are certain things kids are just going to do. There is a HUGE learning curve when it comes to our toddlers and preschoolers learning what is appropriate and what is not. What is safe and what is not.
How do you tell them?
How do you help them rise to each occassion and be the best that they can be?
What are your expectations for your child?
Though temperment and overall personality (as well as a host of other variables) will impact our child's abilities, there are some things we can do as parents.
*Be consistent. Expect the same behaviors/actions from your child if they are at home or if they are away. For instance, if you allow your child to jump on the counch at home why wouldn't they think it would be okay in a restaurant or at grandma's house?
*Be loving. Respect for themselves and others will develop out of having strong, respectful, trusting relationships.
*Be supportive. The goal of discipline (I hate that word!) should be to help our children learn and grow, never to make them feel worthless or unloved.
*Communicate your expectations. Communicate a plan. Sometimes, we see the worst behaviors of our children only because they don't know what, when or how something is happening.
*Be appropriate and plan for outings (i.e. a formal wedding ceremony) that may be non kid-friendly.
*Praise desired behaviors often. Ignore, when possible, undesirable behaviors.
*Monitor television viewing. Let's face it, there's a lot of garbage out there. Connect with the resources that will best help your little one grow and will provide them with the role models you want in their life.
*Point out good models; "Francie does a great job washing her hands. Did you see how many bubbles she made? Let's try it!"
*Use different tactics. Sometimes it works better to adjust an attitude through tickles than anything else.
*Know when it is not working and go another direction. Grocery shopping at nap time is not a good idea!
What are you doing to develop the skills for your little one's life success?
