Your Thoughts are Inside, but Behavior is Not
I often tell my children that “Your thoughts are private, but behavior is public.” You can think whatever you want to think, but the minute you let your thoughts out of your head, they become public information. Often times they need a visual to help explain it.
Toothpaste Squirt
Grab a small tube of toothpaste & a small plate. Choose one child to come forward and squirt all of the toothpaste onto the plate. (My smaller boys help with this part) Then I ask if he/she can put all of the toothpaste back into the tube.
Here’s what to say after the visual:
- Explain that once the toothpaste comes out of the tube, you cannot get it all back in. This is much like a put-down or rude comment. Once a put-down comes out of my mouth and goes into your ears, I cannot take it back.
- Go onto explain that for each put-down a person hears, they must hear 5 or more sincere compliments to get back to where they were emotionally prior to the put down.
- Reiterate that thoughts are private, but behavior is public and the next time you think about giving a put down, think again and screw your lid to your toothpaste tube tight!
- Ask them to if it has ever happen to them and how did they feel.
One of the most important skills that we can teach our children to help them succeed in life, is the ability to get along with others. To do that, it takes a village. If we fail, the rest of the world will let us know, and our kids will be subjected to a life of ridicule, isolation, and despair. As a mother… I am my children’s teacher and coach! I try my best to model politeness and keeping things positive!
~QC Supermom
This weekend in the QC, here are some options to find that help.
Let the kids learn to use their hands to build something~FREE at The Home Depot – University (it will be FREE at ANY location)
refreshments -door prizes -sign your son up today! FREE here!FREE Belly dancing class coming up THIS Saturday at Dancers Stage
Friends and Family CPR is coming up. Register TODAY to secure your spot!