"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

Dear Parent,

A little girl was acting up in the car. The little boy sitting beside her said, "Mrs. Smith, you need to call her dad. "Calling her dad might not work," she answered. "Then you can call my dad. He'll spank her."

Does your child act up in the car? Are long trips the worst? Inside you'll find a dilemma to discuss with your child before you take long car rides. It will build her character too.

Discussion Dilemma:

"Your parents are driving you from Oregon to Disneyland for your birthday. It's a very long drive. You're getting grumpy. How would you like to behave? What might you do to help you behave?"

Parenting Tips for Asking Questions:

• Realize it's natural for kids to get restless.
• Listen to your child's answers.
• Find out what she could do to make the drive easier.

Many parents offer solutions to prevent their kids from complaining. Some parents yell. Others might spank. The trick is to find out from your child what will work.

Perhaps she'll come up with a bunch of suggestions and say, "We could play a magnetic game, read a book out loud, or play a car game like "Who can find the most Fords on the road?"

If the solutions come from your child they'll work better than if they come from you. You won't be frustrated coming up with fun things to do only to be met with grumpiness. By discussing the car dilemma ahead of time, you'll be preventing a tough car ride. You'll be building character too.

If you liked the above parenting tips, become an expert parent and pick up 50 more dilemmas at:

Dilemma Discussion Kit

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Best wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS