Behavior booster: Role-playing, demonstration and practicing!

One of the hardest job as a parent is to teach your child how to behave when they aren't with you. Some kids just naturally pick this up and others struggle a little.

For us, what I have found that works is acting out with Brady just exactly what is expected of him.

We do this by: 

• role playing where we re-create the scene or, 
• a demonstration on my part with him following, or 
• having him practice a particular response. 

If we've practiced a particular problem area, when it arises again it gives him an already established road to go down.

The first time this came up he was in kindergarten and was getting in trouble in Christmas program practice to the extent his teacher emailed me. I had him show me what they did in practice with me as the partner. When we swung our hands up like that part of the program, I noticed he was standing all the way up on his tiptoes, which threw his balance off and pulled on the person next to him.

With the problem discovered, we practiced over and over EXACTLY how he was supposed to move, without going on his tiptoes. He did great the next day and in the program.

The next time it came up was when he was having a little trouble in line at school. He would walk REALLY slowly and half the line would get way ahead and the other half was upset behind him. So we practiced walking in line all around the house. That problem is done now.

Sometimes they just need someone to stop and show them exactly what needs to be done. For us it has helped a lot.