Earning Kudos // Children

Receiving kudos can be extremely powerful especially when you are a child.
Our daughters are five and six, one is in kindergarten and the other in preschool, TK. I was thinking about the value of earning kudos and which quick ways to earn them, are important to teach children. This thought popped into my mind after my five-year-old ran into my bedroom, handed me her bowl of cereal and proceeded to skip to the bathroom. For a second I totally thought that I was getting breakfast in bed. Wishful thinking.
Then, I started to think even more about this concept, the concept of giving kudos. Even at preschool age, this list will come in handy. {Not only for the child but for you, the parent, as well.}

Teach your children these five {easy} tasks:
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1. Allow mommy and daddy to sleep in on a weekend day.
We keep very few toys in our daughters’ bedrooms. {We have a playroom downstairs for toys.} At an early age we taught our girls to wake-up-&-play-quietly with the few specialty toys that are kept in their room. The adorable peg dolls shown here can be ordered from: Pegatopia … Be sure to browse the vast array of adorable peg dolls, hand made, for girls & boys — Of every age. {I ordered a Star Wars – Princess Leia one for my friend Liz. Swoon.}
2. Bring mommy and daddy breakfast in bed.
This is the perfect opportunity to teach your child how to read a digital clock. After the clock reads 9:00, your little darling can bring up a bowl of dry cereal, banana or an apple. It’s the little things. {See cereal pic above. 😉}

3. Making your bed and tidying up your room without being asked to do so by mommy & daddy.
This task is simple and my girls find it fun. Teach your sweetie to straighten up the comforter and display their decorative pillows to their liking.
4. Giving someone a compliment.
I have taught my daughters to use kind words and to complement others. When I hear them demonstrate what I’ve taught them I go out of my way to praise them and give kudos. Something as simple as, “You’re funny.” Or “That’s a beautiful necklace.” A complement can go along way.

5. Getting along with your sister {Or brother in some cases.}
It warms my heart to hear our girls getting along and playing nicely together. Being sisters can be tough sometimes. Being a year apart can be even tougher. When I hear them using kind words and playing gently with one another I am sure to give them kudos.

Do you have any parenting tips regarding giving kudos?

Please share them in the comments below. ❤
Cheers!
❤ Jen

4-year-olds // Keeping it Real

Well, the afternoon started off pretty well today and then got progressively worse as the night went on. Life with a four-year-old can get a little daunting. Who knew we’d go from Terrible Twos to Treacherous Threes to WTF!?! Fours? When I really think about it, it seems that on most days, she is completely irrational. Cute & brilliant but irrational. But tonight… She threw a wrench into our normalcy.

Me: “Please stop crawling on top of the table. It’s time to do homework.”
FYI: Preschool homework is pretty intense these days & no we don’t allow her to crawl accross the dining table.
DEA4: {Whispers to my five-year-old, and I quote,} “I’m nignoring mommy.” – She’s always been sassy. SMH.
She crawled across the dining room table AGAIN, preceding to bump and spill my coffee. {Yes coffee, I brew a cup nightly… for my sanity.} Immediately bawling, she jumped off the table and stood on the Naughty Mat {An idea similar to that of the Supernanny.}

I went with it and said nothing.
After approximately three minutes of sobbing she stops.
Silence.

DEA4: “Mommy. I’m sorry. Can I please get out of time out?
I walked over to her and sat on the floor facing her. – My time out ritual.
Me: “Why are you standing in time out?”
{The question that I ask every time prior to one being removed from time out.}
DEA: {Gently clasping my face in her hands, she looked me square in the eye.} “I’m sorry for not wisssening to myself. I wuv you. Amen.” {She followed with a kiss on my mouth.}
Needless to say, I was quite shocked!

It was nice that she actually showed some remorse for her actions. & On her own. It’s refreshing that sometimes she can be so sweet.

Cheers to baby steps & keeping it real!
xoox
❤
Jen