The Funnel effect….

You might be thinking what is the Funnel effect? Well it is a type of parenting manor. I learnt this many years ago when I did a parneting course with my MIL when I was pregnant with Adam. The course was called growing

kids gods way. It is a course you can do through your local church. I was lucky that my in laws were regarded high in their church and we were able to borrow the tapes (it was a 8 week course with 8 tapes to watch) and do it at our leisure.

So what is the funnel effect. Well this is a very simple way of parenting. The idea is not to give the children stuff that later you will take away like car keys. The idea behind the funnel is the child starts at the small end of the funnel and you work your way up to the end by the age of 16-18.

So in theroy it is very simple, but in practise it is hard. We often are out at a friends and bubs wont settle so we give in and hand over the keys to play with. The dangers there are these days most cars have the lock button on their keyring. Did you know how much they are to replace after tonns of drule are in that? Believe me they are not cheap. So now your child is 2 and wants the keys. You say no! because you know they will run off with them and next time you need the car you cant find the keys. (this still happens at 4, 6 and older. Our daughter has swiped my hubbys Motorbike keys as he left them lieing about and now they are no where to be seen) your child has a huge tantrum. This all wouldn’t happen if they didn’t get the keys in the first place. I did this with Adam and forgot with Sarah and was she a handful for it. The remote for the tv is a classic example of this as well.

So you think well keys are fine but what else? Well you do age appropreate things. Like no glass cups till age appropreate (that is all personal. I give Sarah(4) glass but Adam (6) plastic) this goes with chores too. You don’t want to be getting your kids to say help clean the bathroom if they are going to spray the cleaner in their hair. LOL

At 6  and 4 my kids help with the dishwasher and washing machine. But the don’t use cleaners.

Its all a case of 1 thing to remember. Don’t give a child something that later on you will take off them. It is so easy to give in, but in the long run you are better to say no!

Good luck.