Parent-Child Partnership Tips for a Happy Well Organized Home

With many kids headed back to school and the sun starting to set just a little bit earlier, fall is a great time to get your household grounded in healthy routines. Try applying best classroom practices to establish structure and harmony.

Drawing Lines

Clear boundaries and expectations for your child’s behavior are key to a safe and happy home life. Working together with the rest of your family members will help define general rules for good behavior. Here are a few examples of questions you’ll want to ask during this process:

• Which behaviors are considered positive and which are considered negative?

• What rewards await good behavior and what are the consequences for not meeting expectations?

• Will expectations for behavior remain constant or change over time as your kids get older?

Tailoring Tactics

Boundaries, however, don’t come in a one-size-fits-all package. Your child may require minimal praise and support in accomplishing tasks, while others need incremental feedback with each accomplishment.

Here’s where flexibility and intuition come into play – you know your children best and will be able to work with them in the ways best suited to their personalities.

Differentiating Skill Development

Special-education teachers are trained to provide students with a variety of learning methods, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches. Combine the three and you’ll be better able to reach your children regardless of their level.

An example of getting your child to complete tasks using the three different methods:

• Auditory: Telling your child to do the dishes.

• Visual: Showing your child a photo of dishes stacked neatly in the drainer or dishwasher.

• Kinesthetic: Physically work with your child to do the dishes, repeating the act between one and three times to ground the lesson.

Calibrating Change

By looking at trends in your child’s behavior, you can determine a general pattern of successes and challenges. Discuss your observations with your children – particularly the positive feedback – and you can continue to work together in creating a home environment that is beneficial for everyone.