Finding Solutions

What type of behaviour grabs your attention? Let’s be honest, many of us are more likely to pay attention to undesirable behaviours exhibited by our children. Have you ever had a day where all you did was feel like you were saying No Stop! or something similar? When our children are quiet and engaging in positive behaviours, we may sigh with relief, be thankful that it is happening and hope it continues.... What if we told you that positive behaviours can occur in the future? HOW? Through the POWER of reinforcement. YES, it is TRUE! We have tested it repeatedly with our own children and those we support. What is Reinforcement? Reinforcement is the addition of something (desirable to the child) or the removal of something (undesirable to the child) AFTER a behaviour occurs that INCREASES the probability of the behaviour occurring in the future. Examples: Providing praise or giving them access to a preferred item (addition) AFTER they engaged in a desirable behaviour. Reducing chores (removal) AFTER they engaged in a desirable behaviour. NOTE: Reinforcement is NOT Bribery! This will be explained in a future post. For now, the trick is to start with behaviours your children are already doing and to be consistent. An easy trick to get you to practice is to put 10 elastic bands around your wrist and find 10 different situations throughout the day that you can reinforce your child. Over time, this will be come common practice and you won’t need to wear the elastic bands.

Friday Funnies. REALLY?! At least a couple of the shoes made it to the right spot. In all honestly, with everything that is going on right now, this is a SMALL deal, even though I cringe when I walk into my garage.... Stay safe everyone and wishing you a Happy Friday! #fridayfunnies #fridayvibes #friday #COVID19 #parenting #parenthood #parentinglife #parentcoaching #parentcoach #distancelearning #familylife

Power of Positive Affirmations Self talk is the internal dialogue within our mind. It can be an indication of our thoughts and beliefs which in turn plays a critical role on our decision making. Did you know that children engage in self-talk?... Even though some self-talk is negative and can lead to negative behaviour, we can learn to change the choices we make, by adopting positive affirmations. Essentially, we can rewire thought patterns towards more desired outcomes. Some benefits of positive affirmations: Reduce stress and anxiety. Help with problem-solving! Improve mood. Foster confidence and self-esteem. Increase productivity. Enhance relationships. Examples of positive self-talk: I can handle any problem I face. I can try. It’s okay, I can handle it. I’ve done this before so I know I can do it again. When this is over, I’ll be glad that I did it. This may seem hard now, but it will become easier and easier over time. I have control over my thoughts and feelings. What positive affirmations do you use? #positivevibes #positivemindset #positivethinking #positivethoughts #growthmindset #mindset #mindsetiseverything #mindsetmatters #parenting #selfcare #selfregulation

Monday Motivation! Even when a plane turns at a one degree angle every so often, it will still reach its destination. While we may get frustrated with not seeing progress quickly, slow change is better than no change. Success is more likely when you are patient with slow changes which allows for consistency.... No matter what you want to change, the process is similar: 1. Decide what you want to change (e.g., a specific behaviour) and why. 2. Define the goal. 3. Identify a replacement behaviour. To change one behaviour, you MUST choose a NEW behaviour to take place of the old behaviour. 4. Create a plan (e.g., steps to work towards that goal). 5. Don’t forget about reinforcement! 6. Be patient with the process. #mondaymotivation #monday #mondaymood #emotionalhealth #mindsetmatters #mindsetiseverything #MindsetMonday #changeyourmindset #findingsolutions #parents #parenting #parenthood #parentinglife #growthmindset #parentcoaching