There are often processes in our family. There are certain things we do when we’re getting ready for bed, coming home or getting ready for nap/quiet time. I often ask them about the process so that it becomes a natural rhythm for them…turning into a habit. Last night coming into the house, this is what it looked like:
Me: It’s late and time for bed, so what’s the first thing we’re going to do when we go inside?
Kids: Take off our shoes.
Me: Good! What do we do with our shoes?
Kids: Put them in a cubby.
Me: Then what should we do?
Kids: Brush our teeth.
Me: Good. After brushing our teeth?
Kids: Go to the bathroom and then go upstairs and put on our pajamas.
Me: Perfect. It’s late tonight, so we won’t have time for a book, but we’ll pray and stay in bed. Remember that if you don’t stay in bed, there will be no treats tomorrow. I’m making a cake too, so you’ll want to stay in bed so that you can try it.
This was all a conversation that was had while we were headed into the house. The process seems to go so much smoother when we’ve prepped them in that way.
