Shoes on. Backpack ready. Please turn that off. Did you brush your teeth?
And then, five minutes later, you’re asking all over again.
Few things wear a parent down faster than feeling like you have to repeat yourself constantly. Eventually, the request becomes a reminder, the reminder becomes frustration, and frustration becomes, “How many times do I have to tell you?”
But when children depend on us to remember, remind, and manage every step, something important can get lost: their opportunity to take ownership.
Instead of asking, “How do I make my child listen the first time?” it can help to ask, “How can I make this something my child participates in remembering?”
Here are three places to begin:
- Make the expectation clear.
Instead of adding reminders throughout the morning, agree beforehand on what needs to happen. - Give ownership back.
A simple checklist or visual routine can help your child see what comes next without you becoming the human reminder system. - Get curious about resistance.
If the same request repeatedly creates conflict, find out what is getting in the way before assuming your child simply doesn’t care.
Cooperation grows when children understand what needs to happen and begin to experience themselves as part of making it happen.
This week, notice one thing you repeat over and over.
What could help your child take a little more ownership of it?
Love and Blessings,
Katherine Sellery