In another Mama Monday Live Video (see Donna Daily post here for all of the Donna Daily broadcast updates), I tackled an important subject in parenting—Majoring on the Majors. Of course, raising seven kids (and having kids “at home” for 35 years!), we have a lot of “real life” examples of everything we teach. And this topic is no exception with our rather humorous (but true life!) story of how our “little boys” came up with the “Ten Second Rule for Food on the Ceiling”!

If you find yourself barking orders to kids for every move they make—and you’re not really feeling like you are getting to the important stuff—you might be right. I hope this video helps!

Love and hope,
Donna

 

Mama Monday: 10 Second Rule for Food on Ceiling—Majoring on the Majors With Behaviors

A. 10 Second Rule for Food on Ceiling

 

 

1. Pizza crust on ceiling
2. What type of behavior is this?

B. Major on the Majors With Behaviors

 

1. We tend to treat all behaviors equally– But are they?

a. Detrimental because kids think everything is the same!
b. We are not showing them the weightiness of 4 D’s when pizza crust on the ceiling is the same weight as lying, cheating, being disrespectful, etc.

2. Childish behaviors

a. Excited children
b. Kids not understanding cause and effect
c. Forgetfulness, incompleteness, messiness, laziness, etc.

3. 4 D Behaviors Disobedience (4 D’s Video 1 and 2: https://characterinkblog.com/video-the-four-ds-of-behavior-poster-pack/\)

a. Disobedience

i. Direct disobedience (as opposed to forgetting or skipping something)
ii. One of the first behaviors to focus on with young children for their safety and wellness

b. Disrespect

i. Disrespectful words, attitudes, and responses
ii. Way more important than pizza crust on the ceiling

c. Deceit

i. Any dishonesty, stealing
ii. Don’t candy coat it with euphemisms—fibs, white lies. Etc.

d. Destruction (purposeful destruction)

i. Not accidents
ii. Purposely destroying or breaking things
iii. Striking/harming another

 

C. Tips for Majoring on Majors

 

1. Don’t say no unless you’ll go https://characterinkblog.com/dont-say-no-unless-youll-go/ 

a. Stop saying something if you will not follow through on it (especially with toddlers and preschoolers)
b. If you’re not moving from your chair, it’s not important enough to call it out

2. Use character training/consequences for routine behaviors—don’t “ground them forever for not doing dishes”—that should be used for 4 D’s

a. Consequence Pies—available HERE at the store
b. Routine misbehaviors like not following through, not staying on schedule, not doing the chore chart, forgetting, etc., should be handled with training and consequences

3. Teach your littles what obedience really is (Obedience Math Posters https://characterinkstore.com/product/obedience-math-printable-poster-pack/)

a. Article: https://characterinkblog.com/day-eighty-six-obedience-math-childishness-versus-willfulness-part-ii-of-iv/ 
b. Consider age of child and repeat, repeat, repeat!

4. When you want to work on direct obedience, make your commands direct too!

a. Eye contact
b. Explanation
c. Response

5. Make systems, routines, and schedules for anything that is repeatable/routine

a. Kids will know what to expect
b. You will need to train and follow up forever

6. Stop making big deals out of little deals!
7. Use Expectation Explanations to set things up for their behaviors (first Donna Daily/Mama Monday video: https://characterinkblog.com/using-expectation-explanations-in-your-parenting-live-video-training/)

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