22 April 2020
Wow! We have again been inundated with compliments, suggestions and questions arising from the public service practical parenting skills suggestions we have shared via social media, LinkedIn, our website and through emails to our 900 Friends of the Billion Child Foundation around the world.
Our third suggestion to help you and all your friends and relations maintain harmony in the home at this difficult time is to develop Rules of the Home.
Rules of the Home which are developed by all who share your home at a Family Meeting will help you make a big step forward in creating harmony in your home.
You will find an example of a Rules of the Home chart at the bottom of this newsflash.
Next week’s practical parenting skill will demonstrate how to use the Four Steps of Praising.
The practical parenting skills suggestions we share with you are directly from our Win-Win Parenting Skills Programme which has been attended by over 257,000 parents.
Strong families are the backbone of society. Please forward this Creating Harmony in your Home suggestion to your friends and extended family.
Please send your feedback and suggestions directly to me.
The oldest Mum to attend our Win-Win Parenting Programme was 54. One of her children was 31 and the other two 27 and 28. She was the family slave, washing their clothes, preparing all meals, making their beds, cleaning the house, doing all the shopping, emptying the garbage and she had a full time job as well. If she asked her children for help, they complained or said they would do it later, but never or seldom did so.
After attending her first Win-Win Parenting workshop she went home and
called a Family Meeting. She agreed a list of Rules of the Home with her children and husband and together they allocated chores. One of the children compiled the duty roster they had agreed at the meeting and stuck it on the kitchen wall.
Mum was happier and the children reported after a couple of weeks that they felt they were contributing to their home and sorry they had abused their mother. They said it had never crossed their minds that their Mum resented doing all the work and being treated like a slave. Whereas their home was previously a ‘hotel’, over time they became proud of and loyal to their family and proud of being a family member because they played a role in their family and in creating harmony and cohesion.
Agreeing Rules of the Home at a Family Meeting is a respectful and common-sense way of resolving problems, deciding how to make the home a peace oasis for all, for allocating chores and creating family harmony and cohesion.
Here is an example of a Rules of the Home chart. The rules of your home will be different and will change as your children grow older and are able to do more. Even a two-year-old child should have one or two chores to do each day.
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Rules of the Home Mock list |
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School work to be completed by 3pm Monday to Friday All chores to be done before 9 am daily No bouncing on the furniture – especially beds Love our dog – no teasing Snacking is okay as long as you wash your plates afterwards Snacks include fruit, sandwiches and leftovers only If you mess up, you clean up! Bedtime is bedtime. Once in bed, stay in bed Always be polite and respectful to each other Make your own bed daily
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