Rules 9 thru 15 to Help Us All Feel Happy and Safe
As your family adjusts to the new normal of staying home from school due to COVID-19 precautions now is a good time to not only talk about house rules that keep everyone safe but, to write them on paper to post for quick reminders.
Why have RULES?
“Rules help us all feel more safe and secure when we know what is expected of us”, says Malika Bourne the No Non-cents Nanna.
Rules help us all feel more safe and secure when we know what is expected. No Non-cents Nanna
With a new schedule and family routine or new babysitter may be a newly unemployed parent. During this health scare of COVID-19 the new baby sitter might be Dad or the oldest sibling while the other parent is doing essential work on the front lines.
As head of holds, we adults are all feeling unsure of the future and our children will feel our uncertainty. children will react in unpleasant ways to changes of routine and lack of structure that school days have provided.
It is our job as parents or hired caregivers to assure children that we will do everything in our power to keep them safe. with this said, children will need encouragement to also be “helpers” by cooperating with necessary changes to the new normal way of life.
Children need structure. With the new home-school for social distancing the lack of structure they knew at school will be unsettling for any child.
He/ she will need to have rules written out on paper as well.
f you happen to be that new baby sitter, now is the time to make up your rules similar to mine. Keep reading No Non-cents Nanna has to say about discipline and baby sitters.
Rules 9 through 15 are repurposed from one of my archived blogs.
Rules helps every one to feel happy safe. When we write the rules all know what to expect or each other’s behavior. No Non-cents Nanna
Rule #13: Never Eat Yellow Snow
Rules help kids to feel safe. Rule #13 according to No Non-cents Nanna, “Never eat yellow snow.”
Updated 4/1/2020 for COVID-19 New Normal – thank you for your patience as this update is a work in progress to help you adjust to staying home from school
- Rules are meant to help us focus on making the right choices.
- Rules do not have to all mean or scary.
- Adding some absurd things will lighten the mood.
In my original post, I gave silly examples to show if you are the new babysitter you will have rules prepared that you expect to be followed for safety. The kids can focus on the fact that you can still be enjoyable to come to their home to care for them while parents are out.
Rules 9 through 15 are repurposed from one of my archived blogs.
9. Do NOT shrink when taking a bath.
10. Always sit quietly, chewing carefully when eating porcupines with sugar on it.
11. “Please” and “thank you”, the magical words, must be used wisely.
12. “When/then” will be strictly enforced by the babysitter with smiles from all involved,
13. NEVER eat yellow snow. ( If you have a child that claims you have no rules…ask them about rule #13.)
14. Must help the babysitter sing transition chants. (She can’t carry a tune in a bucket.)
15. Beds are made for sweet dreams. Tell the babysitter 2 happy thoughts before dream time.
When a rule is broken THEN there is a CONSEQUENCE!
- Have a list of consequences should the RULES of the Babysitter ever be broken.
- Following the parent’s rules of the house is not ever a choice to not follow.
- Remember that the babysitter’s job never includes PUNISHMENT.
- Discipline actually means TO TEACH to inflict pain.
- Time-out comes with a warning first and is not a punishment.
- Time-out is simply taking time out to fix the problem before continuing with the game. Apply one minute per year of age.
Consequences of not listening:
Listening to the Mom, Dad, Grandma, older sibling, baby sitter for safety is NOT a choice.
I encourage a baby sitter to firmly state when needed, ” This is NOT a choice. I want you to be safe.” then re-direct to another activity. This is a skill that does take practice.
Examples of silly consequences to lighten the mood.
But, use sparingly. We don’t want to encourage not-listening. These are only examples. Let your children help make up silly rules.
- Pretend child is 97 1/2 years old when they are in time out. ( A minute per year = 97 minutes. in time out.Yikes. Better to act one’s age.)
- Go to bed 13 minutes early.
- Brush your teeth 33 times instead of one.
- Play the silent games all by yourself for 7 minutes.
- Listen to the baby sitter sing off-key for 129 minutes.
- Do 12 jumping jacks.
- Flex and relax your muscles for 9 minutes.
- Deep breathe in and out 21 times. ( Deep breathing like La Maz for childbirth really does work for kids to get behavior re-directed..)
Odd numbers and physical tasks appeal to kids.
- Be sure to adapt your safety rules that are age-appropriate.
- Keep in mind that you do not want to overstimulate a child before bedtime.
- Be pleasant and have fun. (Keeps ’em on their mannerly toes. Remember”manners help others to feel more comfortable around us.”)
- Consequences should never let a child get out of doing what is safe. Consequences should never be so fun that they encourage breaking the safety rules parents have set…
- Have little rewards in your babysitting bag. (I have a post for that, too.)
Please note: Malika Bourne, author of No Non-cents Nanna blogs, is also the founder/ owner of No Non-cents Nanna blog and Heart Felt Play on Facebook.
Remember WHEN they follow Through THEN they get the reward.
(Example WHEN you get all the little cars in the box THEN I will teach you that silly song to sing or give you a piggyback ride to go brush your teeth)
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