Good to Great Families

Here's the good news.. You are already reading this, so chances are that you are already a good parent. Congratulations!!
Now, let's talk about escalating you and your family from Good to Great..

Imagine being asked to play a new game - but no one takes the time to explain the rules to you. So you experiment. You see what you can and cannot do. Sometimes your actions get you want you want, whereas other times those same actions get you in the penalty box. How frustrating this must be for a child!! This is how it feels to be a child in a house without consistent parenting.

Children thrive when they know their boundaries. Parents need to firmly establish boundaries with their children - the earlier the better. This means letting children know exactly what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

First, as parents, you must collaboratively decide and specifically define what acceptable and appropriate behavior is and what not acceptable and not appropriate behavior is for your home. Again, think of this as creating rules of the game. Players need to know what earns them extra points as well as what lands them in the penalty box.

Secondly, appropriate behaviors need to be celebrated!! Children need to be told how great they are, how proud you are of them. Pile on the praise for your children. No child has ever said to us that they have had too many compliments in a day. If your children hear praise for appropriate behavior, chances are high that your children will continue to engage in those appropriate behaviors - because they want to hear your praise. They want to see your smile, feel your hugs, and experience happiness.

Third, inappropriate behavior needs to be addressed immediately. Again, parents will have established, collaboratively, a list of inappropriate behaviors a well as a list of costs. The "cost" or consequence of the bad behavior will vary based on the severity of the behavior - however the implementation of the cost MUST be consistent.

Finally, parents must also be able to adhere to the established rules. There is no point making a rule if one or the other parent can't consistently enforce the rule and the cost or consequence.

The 3 C's
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency!!!

Behavior plans are plans that we develop together with you to ameliorate your stress and decrease your children's disruptive behaviors. These are plans they are not set in concrete and they are pliable. Most important is that we agree upon a plan that you both believe will benefit your family and choose a plan that you can, and will, consistently implement. Your consistency will be the key component required for success.

Behaviors Addressed What we do.
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