Parenting Corner

Blooming Grove Academy provides a wonderful opportunitiy for parents to participate in the learning process by offering parent workshops, sharing informative books, and encouraging participation in your child's educational, emotional, and social development through the school.

Following is a quote from John Platt’s Life in the Family Zoo, the book used in a recent BGA parent workshop:

Many times, when I meet parents they will say, “John, I remember you gave a talk many years ago at Kennedy Elementary School and you talked about limited choices. Just that one technique has made it so much easier to carry out my role as a responsible parent.”

Using limited choices can make life much more pleasant. Try it; you may find out how helpful it can be.

• Do you want to take a shower or a bath?
• Do you want to draw your water for the bath or do you want me to?
• Will you need 30 or 45 minutes to do your homework?
• Do you want to do your homework as soon as you get home from school/child care or 30 minutes before dinner?
• Do you want to clean your room as soon as you get up in the morning or before you come to breakfast?
• Would you like to work on the even-numbered problems first or the odd-numbered ones?
• Do you want to brush your teeth with warm water or cold water, with your left hand or your right hand, or as soon as you put on the toothpaste or I do?
• Would you like to set the table or make the salad?
• Do you want to wear your blue sweater or the yellow sweater?
• Do you need to get up at 7:00 a.m. or 7:10 a.m. in order to be ready for breakfast at 7:30 a.m.?
• The football game is over at about 10:30 p.m. Do you want to go get a snack with your friends and be home by 11:30 p.m. or at midnight?
• Do you want to change your clothes now or before you eat the lasagna?
• Would you like to take your nap now or as soon as we read the sailboat book?
• Would you like to hold my hand or have me hold your hand?
• Would you like to clean your room by yourself or would you like to help me clean my room and then we’ll clean yours together?
• Do you want to walk through the house or go outside to run?

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