Commitment to making change often requires doing something new and behaving differently. Examples of how children commit to change include:
- Changing the way children interact with others
- Changing the way they behave or respond to their peers, teachers or family
- Using different thoughts to help children get to a positive place in their heads
All of these changes require commitment and momentum. Children can’t have a new set of thoughts and then use them only once. They can’t try a new way to interact with others once and never try again if they don’t get the reaction they want.
Neither will work because we know that we have to do that thing consistently (if it is going well and working) to get the results that we want, and it can take quite a while. Making change and sticking with it is required.
HELPING CHILDREN KEEP THEIR COMMITMENT TO CHANGE
Keeping momentum is important in order to get to the end goal. When children want to give up, parents need to help them keep going, particularly when things have not gone well. Encourage them to write down and record how things are changing at school or their activities, how they feel about themselves or their interactions with others. They can write down every little thing that felt different but successful. By noticing these small positive changes, your child will hopefully be spurred on to continue with their plan to tweak or change their life or themselves.
The Wow Board
The perfect tool to write down daily successes. Developed for children who need a self-esteem boost and to learn how to focus on the positive things that happen in life. All children should feel good about who they are, recognise and acknowledge their strengths and have a ‘can do’ attitude!
