Lesson 3 Homework, Tips and Case Studies
Objective: These exercises are designed to help parents make school a happy place for their children. Try these fun exercises together with your child and other family members:
Exercise 1: “Remember Good School Times”
Objective: Think about good times in school and make a picture.
What you need:
Magazines
Scissors
Glue
Paper
What to do:
Think about good times in school and write them down.
Cut out pictures or words from magazines that show these good times.
Glue them on paper to make a cool picture.
Talk about the picture with others, focusing on the good stuff in school.
Exercise 2: “Family Plan for School”
Objective: Make a plan to help your child have a good time in school.
What you need:
Paper
Pens
What to do:
Think of three ways to help your child in school.
Talk with your family about these ideas and listen to what they think.
Exercise 3: “Try New Activities”
Objective: Find and talk about activities your child likes.
What you need:
Paper
Markers
What to do:
Talk about things your child likes to do.
Write them down and talk about new things to try.
Try at least one new thing together.
Exercise 4: “Happy Morning Routine”
Objective: Make a morning routine that starts the day in a good way.
What you need:
Paper
Pens
What to do:
Think about things that make mornings happy.
Draw these things and talk about why they’re good for school mornings.
Exercise 5: “Celebrate Good Stuff”
Objective: Make a plan to celebrate when your child does something good.
What you need:
Paper
Pens
What to do:
Find things your child does well.
Talk about how to celebrate these good things.
Exercise 6: “Help Decide”
Objective: Find ways your child can help decide things about school.
What you need:
Paper
Pens
What to do:
Talk about why it’s good for kids to help decide.
Think about things your child can help decide.
Make a plan to show how your child can help decide.
These exercises are here to make school a good place for your child. They are simple and fun ways to make learning and going to school something everyone can enjoy together.
Tips for a more harmonious home – Week 3
Teach problem solving
When things are calm, you might say, “This behavior won’t solve your problem, it’ll only get you into more trouble. So how can you solve this problem differently next time?” Listen to what your child says and offer ideas if they can’t come up with anything.
Focus on one behaviour at a time
If your child is defiant in several different ways, it will be difficult and exhausting to try to address all the problems at once. So, if your child is disrespecting or swearing at everyone in the family, not doing their homework and breaking their curfew, decide which of these behaviors you cannot live with or seems most detrimental to the child’s or other’s safety. Choose just one behavior that is bothering you the most and plan the steps you will take to improve that behavior using the skills you learned in Lessons 1 and 2. When you’ve enforced consequences for the first behavior and it’s under control, move onto the next most bothersome behavior. Be consistently consistent.
Pick your battles
Decide which battles are worth fighting and which are best to let go. Avoid power struggles. Many times, teens will use petty arguments to delay having to comply with rules. Instead, concentrate only on battles that truly need your attention to protect your teen’s well-being. By avoiding minor disagreements, you create a more peaceful environment for your family, which can give your teen more confidence to approach you on more significant issues.
Great work. See you in Lesson 4.