“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
–Robert Louis Stevenson

Parenting Practice: Fostering Behavior Change

Think about the behavior you’d like your kids to change. How can you apply this week’s tips to it?

• How can you help your kids clone a bright spot? (“What did you do yesterday, when you DIDN’T forget your homework?”)
• Are you setting clear enough expectations? (“Don’t be so messy” vs. “Put your clothes in the hamper.”)
• Can you appeal to a new identity? (“If you want to be like Taylor Swift, you’ll have to practice a lot more!”)
• How can you appeal to emotions? (Evoking compassion for polar bears to encourage turning lights off.)
• How can you change the environment? Remember, making an environmental change will be more effective than expecting self-control in many situations. (Move kids out of poking distance.)
• What action triggers can you set? (As soon as you walk through the door, hang up your back pack.)

This video is the 4th in a series about boosting emotional intelligence from The Raising Happiness Homestudy. Check out the rest of the Homestudy here.

If you would like to download the audio version of this video to listen to in your car or on the go, click the link below.
DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO VERSION HERE.