When it comes to raising children, it is not easy. Parenting in public can be a challenge since you might not want to show your Mommy Dearest moment in front of all. Finding creative ways to teach them how to behave in public, and keeping them safe can be daunting. Here are a few tips that will help to make your outside time more enjoyable and keep you a little more sane.
- One Finger Rule – Kids have a habit of touching things in the store. Heaven forbid if you are in a curio shop or a place with fine china on display that the children just want to touch. Teaching them the one finger rule may help you to prevent them from breaking stuff in a store. Kids are naturally curious, and if you teach them to use only one finger to touch something that interests them, chances are you have a better chance of leaving the store without mishap. Not a full-proof tip, but it might lessen the chance of the glass shattering in the china shop!
- Shhh, It’s a Secret – Use a secret word for calling them when they are just out of your distance. Teach them this word at home and practice it as well. When they happen to go into another room, say the secret word loud enough for them to hear it. Make it a two-word plus phrase in which you say the first part, and they reply with the second. Phrases could be traditional like Mickey -Mouse or silly like Purple – Pickles. This creative strategy will prove to be successful when you are in a store in a mall and they have just stepped away from you. It will soothe your nerves once you hear them reply with the second part of the answer behind closed doors or in the midst of a crowd. I’ve used this behavior strategy in my teaching years.
- Ready, Set, GO! – Some children like being out at the mall or away from the home, and can put up a fuss when it is time to head home. One way you can solve this dilemma is to challenge him/her to a race. Tell him/her that once you have the car parked and both of you are safely on the sidewalk; you can beat him/her to the front door. No matter how determined he/she is, he/she will, without a doubt want to beat you in this race.
Try these tips. They might work, and to be honest, they might not. Every child is different. Let me know what behavior management strategy has worked for you!
