Over the last few weeks I’ve found myself saying the same things over and over to the kids in the morning.
And they are not getting it.
It’s a vicious cycle that does no good for anyone, you set expectations that may or may not be clearly communicated… which are not being followed to your rather ambiguous expectations.
Who’s to blame? You could blame the kids for not listening.. and you probably have (I’m guilty here too).
But the parents are in charge. Yes that’s right. The parents.
It was apparent that they were not failing me, I was failing them.
So I did they thing I’ve been saying needed to be done for 2+ years.
Created a Checklist.
A clearly communicated checklist, with days, check boxes and a crayon.
It took about 15 minutes to think through, draft and put together in Excel. (There are more templates there than you’d ever thought) Printed 4 copies and put them on the floor on the way out of the kid’s rooms, making them impossible to miss, each with a different color crayon.
By the time I got done with my workout and meandered upstairs, 2 of them were excitedly checking off boxes and doing push-ups.. they were dressed and their rooms had been straightened up.
It was like magic… and checklists are magic.
Unclear expectations are the root of so many frustrations. Not just with others but even with ourselves.
The mind needs clear targets & goals to focus on.
Why are checklists not more widely used on an individual basis?
Because they show failure. It’s easier to have ambiguous goals floating around than have concrete evidence that you failed to achieve what you set out to accomplish.
Why are they not more widely applied to communication with others (including your kids)?
Laziness.
The time & aggravation savings are worth it.
Do the thing you know you should be doing.
P.S. Why did my amazing wife never come up with one? She, unlike me with the kids, has it all together…. Although she does appreciate the checklist now!
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