Keeping It Light ( Part 2) ? Home And Family Counselling

In the earlier blog I wrote about how Humour and Silliness can help mundane tasks get done easir with children. Read on for more ideas!

MUSIC ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

• Use music to make an activity fun and creative. It is widely recognised that using music can change a mood. Try it with jobs that you?d quite like to avoid and see if you and the kids feel better. You don?t need a planned script, just put exactly what you are doing into words and make it into a song. The simpler the better, and remember children love repetition!

It doesn?t matter if you are musical or not, children don?t care what your tone sounds like, they just love to feel you connecting through music and being playful with them.

While you are doing some of the things that seem difficult you could:

1: Using a well known song tune (like Mary had a Little Lamb), and speak-sing about exactly what you are doing now.

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For example:

??We are putting sunblock on, sunblock on, sunblock on, we are putting sunblock it?s very nearly done.?

Just a bit goes on your nose, on your back, on your face, just a bit goes all over you?there, we are done.?

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This idea can be used in many other situations as well as to help mundane tasks feel a bit easier. Simple songs that speak about your child and what they are doing helps them feel safe and connected to you, loved, noticed and valued.

Try something like the Twinkle Twinkle little Star tune to help a little person go off to sleep or eat up their veges!

?I can see you eating up, orange carrots on your plate

There they go, on the spoon, oops they fall, on the floor,

I can see you eating up, yummy carrot on your plate.?

ORGANISING THE BOSS OF THE JOB

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• There is usually one willing helper in the bunch? if not, you could always recruit one! This idea suggests that you advocate the role of ?boss? to the child and with your guidance, include them in the list of tasks you need to achieve. It might take a little more planning and time on your part, but your children will feel included.

If the mood is kept light, you may have a win-win with a happier child, happier you, and the jobs done.

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For some children making lists can really help them grasp what needs to be done and it teaches them organisation as well as giving them an experience of satisfaction. If you can take the time to have a light hearted conversation about what needs to be done, and make a list together, children can come on board more easily than if they experience your busyness to be? ?too busy to play with me, or waiting too long for fun to happen?.

As you think about organising the children and deciding which jobs to do you could:

1: Suggest that the children could be the ?Boss? of the job. Give each child a job they are in charge of and an age appropriate part to play in getting it done. They could then assess the job and tick it off the list. With siblings this can help grow connection, respect and an experience of working as a team.

2: Draw a silly face beside all the jobs on the list that need to be done.

3: Add in silly ones like ?tickle time? or ?run around the table time? or ?cuddle time?.

4: Add rewards to be given after a few tasks have been completed.

?Keeping it light? may take a little more time, and the jobs may not be done perfectly?but the way we think and feel about what we have to do can be very different if we catch ourselves in time to make things fun.

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Anya Godwin

Children?s Counsellor

Home and Family Counselling

View Anya?s profile? here

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