Brat...Not! Raising Great Kids!

How to Get an Organised Family - Guest Blogger Angela Esnouf

First off, let me assure you, we are not perfect.  There are plenty of things we could improve on, like tidiness.  Check out The Difference between Tidy and Organised for insight.

But I am pleased so say we are pretty organised.  And it does come as a surprise to me to see my grown children have picked up my habits along the way.  They seem to have absorbed it without me even noticing.  So here’s how to get an organised family.

1. Be an organised role model
2. Set up processes and systems that cut down on effort, space, time and money
3. Show them the processes and systems
4. Don’t nag.  Instead, demonstrate the benefits of being organised
5. Be truly amazed when 20 years later they demonstrate what they’ve learned

Thanks to Angela Esnouf my first guest blogger - Check out her site CREATING ORDER FROM CHAOS

What lesson did you teach your child today!

Kids in the sporting arena have a great chance to learn great skills and fair play. Think about your sport parent behavior, here is an example of how kids learn from the behavior of their parents

In one particular event two kids learned a lesson, one was how to be a fair player and be gracious in defeat, the other learned that is is OK to cheat and show bad sportsmanlike behavior in order to win. Each of these lessons were taught in the actions displayed by the parents present.

What is it about parents who will happily let their child bend rules, tell fibs and generally play badly and act like it is OK, they are the parents who wonder why the kids grows up to be dishonest and difficult teens and adults. MMMM look at the example you set and what you let go by without comment or correction.

On the other hand if my kid had behaved in such a manner with me there, I would have pulled him aside and let him know under no circumstances is such behavior acceptable or warranted. I would have expected him to apologize for his bad behavior.

We are the parents we are the example that our children mould their behavior on. Sometimes we need to remove our blinders and see our kids behavior for what it really is. Never be afraid to reprimand your child if you see them act in a way that is unacceptable. If you worry about what people will think of you, let me tell you, you will regarded as a good parent who is raising a great kid, not as a selfish parent who accepts bad behavior under any circumstance.

So next time you are watching kids play sport take a little moment to think about the example you are setting and the lessons you are teaching.

Welcome, Parents everywhere!

Well I am going out on a limb here and publishing a blog that I have no formal training or qualifications in. I am only an active practitioner in the field of parenting, yet that has lead me to think about and look at why some kids are great and others are...well...BRATS.

What made me start this blog was the comment I have heard many times since I started practicing as a parent, that comment is "Your kids are great, how did you manage to get Three really good ones?".

How indeed did we end up with Three fab kids, who do occasionally stoop to Bratdom, that people openly make positive comment about.

So it was this that has put me out on this limb. 

I have decided to explore, observe and report on what sort or parenting makes a great kid and what makes a brat.

You are likely to read things here you do not like or agree with. That is OK, I welcome your comments openly and plan to share them with our readers. Also you may just see yourself in some of the posts that come up, and well I will make no apology for that either.

Just relax enjoy, read and take the opinions and advice in the manner which they are given, as friendly helpful observations from one parent to another.

I also welcome submissions for the Parent resource page, so email a link to me wendy@totallyorganised.co.nz and I will gladly include it if it is relevant to this page. I am keen to find other sites, blogs and resources internationally.

So just who are these 3 great kids that I have raised with my Fab husband, here they are:

Ben, Sam & Grace.

So I hope you enjoy this blog and make it part of your parenting life. Just be aware, I may be talking about you if you are observed in my day to day living, :-) However I promise to keep all identities anonymous and look at the GOOD, BAD and just plain UGLY side to being a parent.