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Expert Tidbit
Effective parenting becomes easier with this unique child discipline tool. The atmosphere in your family will improve immediately as behavior modification is accomplished with fun and effectiveness.
Has Someone Been Naughty?
by Julie Butler
More Details at:
www.better-behavior.com
When David and Laura were 9 and 12, their constant arguing and bickering drove parents Julie and Bob Butler crazy. In desperation they held a conference, then sent the kids to their rooms to come up with a list of consequences that could be imposed the next time they had a fight. The following day, list of consequences in hand, the parents decided to put them around the perimeter of a board and then attached a spinner in the center. It was dubbed 'The Better Behavior Wheel' and hung up on the kitchen wall. "The amazing thing", says Julie Butler, "The fighting stopped overnight. The mere presence of that board hanging on the wall put a damper on their battles." When truce was finally broken about ten days later, the kids were calmly led into the kitchen and handed the wheel to spin. It landed on the most dreaded consequence of all: "Hug and Make Up". The tension was broken as they awkwardly gave each other a hug, mumbling apologies. They all had a good laugh, and life resumed.
From that simple beginning, the Wheel expanded to cover a range of inappropriate behaviors, from excessive arguing to wasting electricity to whatever happened to be an issue. "It's just a matter of removing one disk, and replacing it with another that contains consequences for something else", Butler explains. "We even have a disk for extra good behavior, we call the Wheel of Just Desserts."
While the wheel has been created to deal with common situations that occur within the home, teachers are also using it in the classroom, with many of them having the students come up with appropriate consequences as a classroom assignment. The Child Services Council of West Palm Beach has distributed the wheel to all of their child behavior specialists.
"WOW!!! I love it", writes Wheel customer, Lisa, of A Mother's Touch Daycare. "The kids are already changing in just an afternoon. Peace - haven't heard that in a while. I have been dreading summer just because of the kids being home and fighting with each other more - but not now :) We are a blended family of 8 children - his, mine, and ours. It makes for very interesting visits with the whole family and a lot of getting on each others nerves at times. Thank you so very much for getting rid of the whole problem of giving unequal punishment out to the "stepchildren". (Seems like the only time that word is used is when someone gets punished.) Now it's fair - FINALLY. They choose to disobey - they choose their punishment. It's great. Now I can look forward to the summer visitations. Thank you from the bottom of my heart !!!!"
Priced at $18.95, the Better Behavior Wheel is an affordable tool for parents and educators everywhere. It also comes with an electronic version to play on the computer. Visit the website http://www.better-behavior.com to place an order.
Keywords: parenting, child behavior, adhd, discipline, sibling rivalry
About the Author
Julie Butler, prince george, BC, Canada
juliep@direct.ca
http://www.better-behavior.com
Julie Butler is a mother of four, originally from Oregon and now lives in central British Columbia where she markets the Better Behavior Wheel to grateful parents.
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