Extension: Santa’s Watching All Year Long
We probably all have had the opportunity to hear parents trying to motivate their kids to display better behavior
using Santa Claus and the threat of “no toys” for the holidays.
The fear of not getting a new toy certainly can turn the magic of the season off in a hurry and get kids to behave, but once the tinsel settles, the negative behaviors can return.
“One of the most effective ways to encourage good habits in the children in our lives is to do it first or do it with them,” says Susan Milender, NDSU Extension Agent in Barnes County.
Try this activity at home: Round up some willing participants. Stand in front of the group. Ask them to watch you and do what you say. Give some simple instruction, such as “Raise your right hand.” As you give the instruction, raise your own right hand. Do not correct anyone.
Next, put your hands on your knees as you instruct the group to do the same. You may want to ask, “Are you ready?” and wait until everyone is looking at you before each new instruction. Continue with two or three more instructions while you do the action.
Now the fun part: Give the group a verbal instruction again, but this time, do a different action. For instance, you could say, “Put your hand on your ear,” but put your hand on your nose. Watch to see if people do what you say or do what you do.
When you make a habit of brushing your teeth with the bathroom door open and then talking about how clean your teeth feel, chances are your children will do the same with less prompting. One family lucky enough to have two bathroom sinks calls “toothbrush party!” and all three youngsters gather with their dad to brush their teeth as a prerecorded twominute song plays in the background.
“It’s a little messy” admits the father, “but if it gets all of our teeth clean in two minutes with no fussing, I am happy to wash the sinks.”
This parent is promoting a healthful habit by brushing with his kids and making it fun.
Adults are expected to show kids from tots to teens and beyond the type of behaviors they expect by being a role model. For instance, if you have started to use words that you would not be proud to have your kids repeat at dinner with the grandparents, you need to clean up the vocabulary and replace those words with appropriate alternatives. Likewise, when adults say please and thank you to their children, even toddlers will learn to include please with their requests and express gratitude.
Children need to hear our expectations for living a healthful life, and maybe more importantly, they need us to follow the same rules because like the old song, paraphrased, says, “They see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake. They know when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for your kids’ sake. ”
For more resources on children, families and finances, search NDSU Extension at www. ag. ndsu.edu/extension/ children_ families_ finances.