Instructive
Clear limits can be instructive. For example, a father tells his grade-schooler, right after supper, “Every night after supper, take the garbage and put it in the trash can outside.” His child knows exactly what to do. If he had said, “Clean up everything after supper,” his son would not know what his father really expected. We should not blame or punish children for failing to do what we never made clear in the first place. The best limits tell children what to do, when to do it, and how well it should be done.
❖ JOURNAL 12: Making yourself clear
Complete Journal Worksheet #4 Making limits clear and Worksheet #5 Reverse clarity. When you are through, describe your experiences with rules in your home relative to their clarity. Did you know what your parents expected of you? Were you ever punished for not doing something when you didn’t know what to do? How have your experiences affected the clarity of rules or limits you expect of your children?
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