The value of assigning tasks to your children

The majority of families with whom I work are facing issues of lack of control in their homes. They experience their children refusing to do as told, they feel their home lives could be better managed and they desire more peace and calm at home. Fundamentally, when I work with these families establishing a firm foundation of values is first. I have observed that if children are not clearly told what kind of family culture they live in and what behaviors are expected then they are confused and noncompliance is often the most common result.

Often, the first time I meet with a family we review what kind of family they wish to raise and then we begin to establish routines that will help them create the family they desire to live in. By assigning tasks to your children you are living with a value of helping your children become independent and resourceful. Therefore, one of my favorite tools in The Family Coach Toolbox is the ROUTINE TASKS LIST.

These task lists are essential for healthy family functioning. They serve two functions: 1) To help the family regain order and 2) To help the children begin to develop independent skills for health and wellness. Children as young at two years of age know that life experience have some order. They understand routine. A two year old knows that when she sits in her high-chair or at the family table that food is about to be served. They know that sitting comes first and eating comes second. This is the beginning of their understanding that some predictability exists in their world.

Morning and evening routines are the most basic routines to establish. While every family does routines differently, there are some basic tasks children need to complete each day before going to school. Of course, they need to get up, get dressed, get their teeth brushed, brush their hair, eat breakfast and head off to school.

Begin developing task lists by sitting down with your children, yes, even the young ones and talk about basic routines.

"Each morning when we get up we have a lot to do." "What do you do each morning?" "What order do you like to do things in?"

Write down the parts of the child's routine. Let them draw them and color them and write them out to their ability level. With a young child they can draw pictures and you can write underneath the pictures for them. Some children like to bathe in the morning others like to complete their homework in the morning. Write it all down. Then take a white magic marker board, the size you can hang on a bedroom door, and write a list of five tasks. Keep it simple so that your children can experience success.

Your board might look like this:

• Make my bed

• Get dressed

• Eat breakfast

• Brush my teeth

• Brush my hair

Or like this:

• Take a shower

• Get dressed

• Brush my teeth

• Brush my hair

• Eat breakfast

Create a task list for each child, recognizing that they may benefit from different routines. However the routine best works for you and your child, that is how you will write it down. Identifying routines and assigning written tasks to your children helps them become masterful independent children.

I was a really good mom before I had kids

I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids -- "I don't know how she does it!" is an oft-heard refrain about mothers today. Funnily enough, most moms agree—they have no idea how they get it done, or whether they even want the job. Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile spoke to mothers of every stripe—working, stay-at-home, part-time—and found a surprisingly similar trend in their interviews. After enthusing about her lucky life for twenty minutes, a mother would then break down and admit that her child's first word was "Shrek." As one mom put it, "Am I happy? The word that describes me best is challenged." Fresh from the front lines of modern motherhood comes a book that uncovers the guilty secrets of moms today . . . in their own words. I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids recognizes the craziness and offers real solutions, so that mothers can step out of the madness and learn to love motherhood as much as they love their kids.

Tuesday April 8th 2008 Next Angry Monster Class

Today's children experience frustration, anger, tantrums and meltdowns, it's a part of growing up. Learn how to teach your children ages 4-12 about cavemen and thinkers, evaluating the meaning of meltdowns and sensory interventions sure to bring peace to your home. Practice strategies and skills to tame those angry moments with The Family Coach Dr. Lynne Kenney. Parents only 6:30-7:45pm.

a. What is the angry monster
b. How can we use our thinkers to manage our cavemen
c. How exercise can make a difference
d. Sensory tools and equipment
e. Sensory gardens

Call Brie at 480-860-8488 to schedule.

Low Glycemic Carbohydrates

We had a great talk last night at the Picky Eaters Class at North Scottsdale Pediatrics. You parents really are amazing!

Here is list of low glycemic carbohydrates to serve with protein in the morning to get your children off to a healthy start. Combing two ounces of protein with one serving of complex carbohydrates is just what your kids need to study and thrive in school all day. Add a few slices of Asian Pear or 1/2 cup fresh berries to the plate. Happy eating for health and wellness!

Beans (Garbanzo, Pinto, Kidney, White), 1/3 cup
Bread (Whole-wheat, Multi-grain, Pumpernickel, Rye, Sourdough, Oatmeal), 1 slice
Corn, 1/2 cup
Couscous (cooked), 1/3 cup
Crackers (whole-grain), 3/4 oz
Oatmeal (cooked), 1/2 cup
Pasta (cooked al dente), 1/2 cup
Peas (green), 1/2 cup
Peas (split, black-eyed), 1/3 cup
Pita (whole-grain, 6 inch), 1/2
Rice (cooked, brown), 1/3 cup
Roll (whole-grain, small), 1
Sweet Potatoes, Yams, 1/3 cup

Yoga and Kids

Yoga benefits children in so many ways. It teaches them to harness their inner lion, breath through tough moments and live more flexibly in mind and body. This past week I have been developing a yoga and meditation workshop for kids at North Scottsdale Pediatrics. This has caused me to read a lot, as always:).

Look for the workshop this Fall at the North office.

You might enjoy this article, just reading it is soothing.

"Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface."

http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/210.cfm

OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Dr. K