Today’s Gifts on the Joy. Peace. Love. @ Home advent calendar for parents
One My Little Box & One My Gambettes Box
from My Little Paris
How to receive these gifts? Take the fun quiz on the Parent Advent Calendar today and you could be the lucky ones to win the draw.
My Little Paris graces the life of 100 000 people worldwide with their monthly themed boxes. My Little Box reveals beauty products and lifestyle accessories and the Gambettes Box unveils 2 totally chic and unique legwear every month.
My Little Paris chooses it’s monthly themes with care so that surprise even means continuity, not chaos, so that you can fully delight in them.
November’s Box brought comfort, the kind you seek when lounging on a Sunday. Comfort for the face, the hands, for fun and for food.
Gambettes Box took an intellectual turn with leaf designs as you leaf through your books at the Sorbonne Library!
And December? Can’t unveil that box yet…or it would not be a surprise!
Invite Surprise @ Home = Relinquish some Control
“It’s been known for a long time that it’s unexpected events in particular that drive learning,” asserts Wael Asaad, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Brown University.
How about surprising the children, especially one that seems reticent to learn, with responsibility.
“Are you sure?” parents respond.
Many of the mothers and fathers who attend our workshops seek predictability. Control. Yet they find it slipping away.
As one father puts it, “The more I try to keep the kids in control, the more out of control I feel.”
Your Relationship-Building Surprise
Why not try a once-a-month relationship-building surprise. 🙂
Consider the “Smooth Morning Out the Door with a Smile” Theme
Select a Date
This is an exceptional event. Put it on the calendar for everyone to look forward to. Choose a weekend morning when there is less pressure to be on time.
Who wants to be in charge?
Invite a child to have the responsibility of getting out the door on time to a child. “Who would like to Be In Charge?”
Consider offering this to your most “problematic-in-the-morning” child. You’ll be surprised at ALL OF THE LEARNING you’ll do…and together!
Prepare when you are calm
With the date set in advance, you can help your child prepare.
Your child both knows and does not know what to do. Help her formalize the routine. “What needs to happen so that we get out the door well?”
Make it like a brainstorming together.
- “Honey, what do you want to remember for your ‘Morning I’m In Charge’?”
- “Remind me what needs to get done in the morning before we go…. Yes, we do need to choose clothes. Could that be done the night before or do we HAVE TO DO IT with blurry eyes?… You decide. You’re in charge.”
Gather Helpful Tools
“Darling, what could help you get the job done?
A buzzer to keep track of time?
A meeting of the family the night before where you remind everyone of what they have to do?
Waking up earlier?”
Let your child choose. She’s in charge.
Be a Gracious Follower
Remember the first times you prepared your babe to go out and forgot the extra diaper and the pacifier fell in the mud and….
Your child will probably face challenges and could even get frustrated because she has HIGH expectations.
Be the first one to behave as requested. Do what is asked of you…and try to refrain from doing more.
Allow your child to experience the challenge of herding a group out the door. THIS FRUSTRATION is part of the prize.
Once your children realize how much effort is required, they become more understanding and cooperative with you. ????
Review and Improve
“So, darling, what went well?”
Invite their self-evaluation and offer a few genuine positive observations as well.
Maybe it felt like a fiasco. Did you get out the door? Then share that. “Honey, we got out the door!”
Ask your child what she would like to do differently next time. Help keep it specific. If she asks you, offer ONE idea for change. Specific means doable, which means she could succeed next time.
One Mom’s Story
“Our second son was so contrarian. I felt like we were in a perpetual power struggle. By the time we got out the door in the morning, I was ready for a nap!
We tried this Mom-Son role switch.
Mr. Rebel was delighted. ”You’ll let ME be in charge, Mom?!”
He became a new person, Mr. Responsible, being conscientious with his job. In the middle of the preparation he realized this was work. “Can we switch back, Mom, and I’ll be the kid again?”
We encouraged him to follow through to the end.
The experience transformed our every day morning ritual. Firstly, the morning routine was clear in everyone’s mind. Our previously challenging son because the first one ready.”