Have Clear Expectations | Day Nineteen

I have found that one of the tickets to happier children is to have super clear expectations.

It's all about teaching cause to effect. 

We're heading out to the park.

If you don't hold my finger when we walk through the parking lot, then I will pick you up. 

You can walk beside me if you hold my finger. Want another chance?

We don’t want to keep them guessing what will happen when they misbehave. Clear expectations give them control over their situation. They are able to make the right choices and get the outcomes they want.

• I expect you to treat your friends with respect. If you hurt their feelings or hurt them physically, you will be removed from the situation in order to realign your behavior to what is expected. {usually a time out and a time in}

• Scratching and biting are not allowed. The scratching or biting one will need to spend time alone to remind him that that behavior is not OK.

Be consistent. Eventually, making the right choices will become a healthy habit, something they are used to doing, something that comes naturally. And they will start to realize how to consistently get the outcomes they desire -- in school, in play, in real life. They discover expectations ---> they follow rules ---> they get positive results.

Happy children know what you expect.

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.