|
News & Info
|
 |
 |
Seller Signup...
Quality Service, Seller or Tradesperson? Sign Up Now!
|
|
Home & Garden Articles
New Years Resolution For Families and Projects
Fri 26 Dec 2008 - 09:31
New Years Resolution For Families and Projects
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr_Debi_Warner]Dr Debi Warner
New Years Resolutions are important goals to set for ourselves. Yet, we often figure that if we just wish it on New Years that it will come true. But the same laws of nature pertain to that day as any other. A goal for change will need some planning and supports to succeed. Let's look at your kids' situation and how you can help. Before you build the organizers for their messy rooms, you will need to know the categories and flow of their lives to get a good system going for them.
But before that, when we want to cure a bad habit, it helps to look first at why it happens and how it works for ourselves. People as so busy these days and kids have many demands on them from school, friends, and parents, they may be scattered in prioritizing their efforts. They are constantly distracted from their focus by media and messaging that demands attention. Under these circumstances it can be quite hard to organize their stuff and their lives.
Most parents order their kids to clean their rooms, but otherwise expect that it happens in time, all done, stuff put away, laundry folded, and done well or they have to punish or live with the mess. Actually there is quite a bit that parents can do to help this situation resolve, and building organizers can be one of the steps along the way.
Consider the task the child faces of clearing their room and making sense of it. They must sort many categories - toys, books, electronics, clothes, bedding, projects, and more. Plus they need to determine which stuff is dirty or belongs somewhere else. Plus they need to clean under the many piles, in order to be healthy.
This is a huge task that can take hours. Do they get protected time to do anything for a few hours? Like any project you do, you set aside the time. So, the first task as a parent may be to help them protect the time needed to do their room. And - it needs to be comfortable time. No one will address a big problem well like sorting their life, if they are feeling punished and sent to the dungeon. You can help their attitude by being pleasant about their task. Many parents wait until they are fed up before insisting on a room clean up, but that often transmits as a foul mood and results in the same for the child.
So, how can you then get the organizing to happen? You can preview the task ahead, making a diagram, just like you do with your other projects. You can divide the task into sections, like you do when building a shed. You can check in on your kid frequently to offer encouraging words and show some techniques when they are stymied. You can work along side for a while to provide some examples of how it is done, encouraging their competence, and enjoying a few little diversions that a piece may offer, just like you would admire the cut of a fine mitre saw, you can share the love of life this way; enjoy their pictures or toys for a tiny while.
You can put on music, just like you do in the shop. You can take breaks and talk about the task. The stuff you learn about your child's categories and workflow can then spring forth into ideas for your organizer storage units for you to discuss when on break with the child. You can do this a few weekends, to let them know that attending to the organization of their life is a new habit to repeat, not just a one shot task to poke at when parents are frustrated. Repetition with support can develop a new habit.
On your breaks, once you develop an organizer plan, you can also then work together to build it. Just like the room cleaning and sorting, you can work by your child's side. They will learn more than sorting or building; they will learn about your way of thinking and planning - how you approach a problem and sort the solutions. How you toss ideas around and settle on one that works. Just by being at your side, from project beginnings, when you determined the need, to the solutions - making of the cubbies, they will see that they are an active force in their own life, not at the whim of toy makers or game designers.
That is at the core of our DIY projects - to develop, design and control our own environments and as a Home team - to teach our children they can do this too!
Happy Home Team from Dr Debi!
Dr Debi Warner is a Clinical Psychologist with a lifetime of home renovating in her toolbelt. Dr Warner invented RenovationPsychology® to help renovators. With three decades of family practice, Dr Debi saw many situations gone awry, so she focused her expertise on developing the skills and teamwork that will help people fully enjoy their home projects, for true home improvement.
Dr Debi has long been asking renovators how they played at the beach as a child. It is exciting to see the data. Sand play can develop the elements of your later projects. Research can answer real questions and also be fun. What a great way to help families really enjoy themselves and grow stronger.
Details of Sandcastle results and the background of sandcastle research can be found online at http://renovationpsychology.com/sand/prelim_data.htm
Dr Warner will be at the East Hampton, NY Sandcastle Competition on August 4th, continuing her research on sandcastles and their relationship to learning and development. Visitors are very welcome - bring your shovel and pail and let's dig in!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Debi_Warner http://EzineArticles.com/?New-Years-Resolution-For-Families-and-Projects&id=1808260
Looking for information on General Home Improvement, Find a supplier at HomeWise.ie
back to General Home Improvement articles
back to all home & garden articles
|
|