It’s easy for adults to believe that because children are small, their emotions are also small or somehow less real.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve faced drastic changes and heartache as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. On a grand scale, both the residents of Idaho and our global society have have struggled to adjust to a new norm—a "stay-at-home era" as schools and businesses close, and those not considered "essential workers" face layoffs and work-from-home orders while we wait for COVID-19 to pass.
"My parents don't understand what it's like to be my age."
“They just don’t get it!”
Sound familiar? At the Idaho Youth Ranch, we hear these phrases often. And the truth is, they’re true!
If the idea of trying to fit in homework, meals, down time, extracurriculars, and more--not to mention leaving enough time for 8-10 hours of sleep--feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Creating a schedule that’s comfortable and functional for both parent and child can feel like a major feat, but it’s also one of the best ways you can help children of all ages succeed.
Setting--and following through with--goals is an important way you can help your kids succeed. Learning how to determine what they want, lay out a path to achieve it, and celebrate the results is a skill that they’ll use throughout their lives in school, work, and relationships.
Did you know that one of the most critical indicators for a child’s success is the kitchen table? Researchers at the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that kids who ate with their families five times a week were far less likely to have problems with substance abuse, and were more likely to earn better grades.
The parenting catchphrase “because I said so” is so ingrained in our culture it launched a feature film by the same name.
But what is this fallback phrase doing for kids? Unfortunately, not much. “Because I said so” is a fast, easy way to end a conversation, but as for teaching kids reasoning and decision-making skills, it leaves much to be desired.
Dealing with discipline is tough for parents. Are you being too strict? Are you being too lenient? Learning when to pick your battles is a skill every parent struggles with. Here are a few things we do at the Idaho Youth Ranch to change kids' behavior.