Day TWELVE:
Today is MONDAY! Some people don't like Mondays. They mean the beginning of a new and LONG week until they get back home. But for me Mondays are a fresh start. I am home day in and day out. I don't mean for that to sound like drudgery. I love that I am. I count that opportunity among my greatest of blessings. But because I am home all the time, and because I home school Monday isn't that different from other days. Other than Sunday, most days you can find us doing homework, projects, field trips, science, exploration, gardening, cooking, watching T.V. (gasp! LOL) and playing games. So the days all run together. So WHY is Monday special. Monday night is marked! It is set aside. Everyone knows what Monday night means. Our Monday nights are set aside as "Family Night." We call it Family/Home Evening! And that is what it usually is...The WHOLE family, at HOME, for the evening. Although sometimes we spend family home evening with extended family at other homes, or on occasion (special occasion) we all go out to dinner. But for the most part, it is right here in our living room.
I have been investigating some new parenting strategies from the author Nicholeen Peck's book Parenting: A House United...Teaching Self Government. That is from memory so the title might have to be updated. I will look it up later. Anyway, I am learning a great deal about what I have done Well, and NOT SO WELL with my children. I have been testing her strategies and they are working. So tonight we set some perameters and talked about the expectations we are setting forth with this new ideology. Then we discussed rewards for the children that make an effort to listen, respond respectful, accept no answers and follow instruction. We shall see.
Years and years ago my mom and I went to a class given by our friend that is a psychologist. His name is Jim Munoa. Wonderful man...wonderful family and extended family. He taught us at that class that most people just have a couple strategies and that when they don't work, people don't know what to do. He said to be successful we need 10 to 12 strategies. From that lecture my mom coined the phrase we have used for the last 22 years (or so)... Successful people have more than one strategy. When something wasn't working out mom would say, "Successful people have more than one strategy." It was true, but as the years passed it also became a bit of a family joke and when one member came to the family for advice...we would all rush to be the first to say, "Well you know what mom would say, Successful people have more than one strategy!" I have learned so much from that one night. That ONE class. (R.O.... if you are reading this...will you please pass on a THANK YOU to your brother!). I know that we really can change things with our words, thoughts, actions, LETTERS! ONE person can make a difference. Jim Munoa made a HUGE difference in our lives over 20 years ago...and until now...he didn't even know it!
I am thankful for the many strategies that help me in my life!
Changing the world...ONE letter at a time!
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