Believe that your children are incredible, wonderful....?
Yes, that’s happened to me and it still does.
But I confess that I do take a step back when once again I have to explain to them that their hair has to be washed too!
Vivien and Victor were the first Family Pact beta testers. I remember those magical times at the beginning!
The bed was made before going to school.
When I got back from the office, dinner was ready with a small vase of cut (or pulled up) flowers and there were even candles (fortunately not lit!).
Is “thanks mum” “thanks dad” what you want to hear? Well, here you go!
And a few days later, the end, no more, general strike, pay demands, blackmailed into negotiating!
What? My gifted children can’t hack it and are evil master blackmailers?
Look them straight in the eyes, adopt a solemn and serious tone (that works very well :) ) and explain:
Family Pact or not, it’s for their own good that they must be independent and respectful. Unless, that is, they wish to remain wild, dirty children without any friends because they can’t behave properly with other people.
Family Pact gives us the opportunity to recognise that they’re trying and that we too, as parents, everyday are doing our best for them.
It also gives us the opportunity to talk, to ask why it’s good to behave in such and such a way, and to recognise that progress should be rewarded.
Turning this moment into blackmail or negotiation removes that possibility.
Is that what you want?
And with that, the magic is back! “Ok, ok mum! Give me your bag, I’ll put it away!”