Training our kids and teaching them the things they need to be able to do in order to be independent can be a wonderful experience. It can also be challenging.
Sometimes our children get tired of always having Mom or always having Dad tell them everything. Does that happen in your home? They begin to tune you out or rebel against yet another chore Mom is making them do.
One of the ways you can be spectacularly successful in teaching and training your kids is by picking other people to do the job
Select the Trainer
When its time to begin training your child in a task, its important to choose who will do the training. Now, pay attention here. Note: I said choose WHO will do the training. In other words, it doesnt have to always be you.
Get creative and pick lots of different people to teach
Be creative. Frankly, some of the best training goes on by other non-parental units. Pick lots of different people to help train your child.
Who can teach your child how to take care of his bicycle? One day my sons bike had a flat. I was busy, and my hubby was out of town. I said, Go over and ask Ernie next door to help you. Our neighbor spent two hours teaching the boys how to care for their bikes.
Think about having Grandma teach your children how to make pies or Auntie Sophie showing them how to sew. This works really well with teenagers. Ask teachers, Scout leaders, older friends to help and youll be much more successful.
Have older siblings train younger
One of the absolute best trainers is the older sibling. This doesnt always work well for the sibling directly next in line because theyre often in conflict. However, it works great if you skip a child. For example, my third son needed to learn how to clean the bathroom. (Always a day of celebration in my life.)
I said to my oldest boy, Connor, you are so great at cleaning bathrooms, youre practically an expert. Would you train Parker very carefully so that he can do it as well as you? Of course, his chest puffed up and my third boy was ecstatic that his older brother was going to pay attention to him.
Using older siblings as trainers can be really effective. It reinforces the training for the older child, and the younger sibling pays close attention.
Be safe
Of course, make sure it is someone you know very well and that theyre not totally alone. It can be an amazing experience for your child that they will never forget. They never tire of having people pay attention to them and thinking that they are important.
Trade off
There is nothing quite so wonderful in blasting through stereotypes as having a woman teach guy things and a man teach woman things. Who taught my boys how to make chocolate chip cookies? Dad. Who taught them about finances? Mom.
Having lots of people involved in the training and teaching of your child can be a rich experience for everyone. In the process, your child will learn a lot about becoming self-sufficient. Thats a win for everyone.
Sometimes our children get tired of always having Mom or always having Dad tell them everything. Does that happen in your home? They begin to tune you out or rebel against yet another chore Mom is making them do.
One of the ways you can be spectacularly successful in teaching and training your kids is by picking other people to do the job
Select the Trainer
When its time to begin training your child in a task, its important to choose who will do the training. Now, pay attention here. Note: I said choose WHO will do the training. In other words, it doesnt have to always be you.
Get creative and pick lots of different people to teach
Be creative. Frankly, some of the best training goes on by other non-parental units. Pick lots of different people to help train your child.
Who can teach your child how to take care of his bicycle? One day my sons bike had a flat. I was busy, and my hubby was out of town. I said, Go over and ask Ernie next door to help you. Our neighbor spent two hours teaching the boys how to care for their bikes.
Think about having Grandma teach your children how to make pies or Auntie Sophie showing them how to sew. This works really well with teenagers. Ask teachers, Scout leaders, older friends to help and youll be much more successful.
Have older siblings train younger
One of the absolute best trainers is the older sibling. This doesnt always work well for the sibling directly next in line because theyre often in conflict. However, it works great if you skip a child. For example, my third son needed to learn how to clean the bathroom. (Always a day of celebration in my life.)
I said to my oldest boy, Connor, you are so great at cleaning bathrooms, youre practically an expert. Would you train Parker very carefully so that he can do it as well as you? Of course, his chest puffed up and my third boy was ecstatic that his older brother was going to pay attention to him.
Using older siblings as trainers can be really effective. It reinforces the training for the older child, and the younger sibling pays close attention.
Be safe
Of course, make sure it is someone you know very well and that theyre not totally alone. It can be an amazing experience for your child that they will never forget. They never tire of having people pay attention to them and thinking that they are important.
Trade off
There is nothing quite so wonderful in blasting through stereotypes as having a woman teach guy things and a man teach woman things. Who taught my boys how to make chocolate chip cookies? Dad. Who taught them about finances? Mom.
Having lots of people involved in the training and teaching of your child can be a rich experience for everyone. In the process, your child will learn a lot about becoming self-sufficient. Thats a win for everyone.
