How much time do you spend correcting your children’s behaviour compared to the time you spend setting things up to go right? Most parents emphasise reactive correction over proactive preparation.
That’s normal, and natural. We want to stop our kids from hurting, get them sharing, and point out their mistakes so they can learn from them.
But it may be better if we take some extra time and forethought to set things up so it’s easy for the kids to do well.
If we go shopping, we can ensure our toddler has food or something to play with to minimise the risk of tantrums. If our kids fight over a particular toy, we can find creative ways to reduce the likelihood of conflict.
Creating an environment where things can go right takes time and effort, but it can be easier than having to put out fires, and creates an environment where there is less criticism for kids.
