Before you "tell Santa"...

View fullsize

Parents: Have you caught yourself saying to your children, "If you don't _____, Santa's going to put you on the naughty list!!"🎅

This time of year, it's tempting to use Santa's "naughty list" as a parenting strategy for correcting problem behavior. This can sometimes be a quick fix, but consider the following long term, positive behavior solutions.

Have you replaced the behavior?

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲/𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

Have you taught the replacement behavior?

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿? 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗽: 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱!

Have you practiced the replacement behavior?

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲-𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿. 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱!

Have you reinforced the replacement behavior?

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿?

𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗥: 𝗕𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁! 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴!

By using these strategies, you can sprinkle your own "Christmas magic" on your parenting skills that lasts way beyond December 25th. If you ever find yourself doubting your parenting abilities this time of year, always remember... you have the power of knowledge⬆️, AND the power of Jesus Christ, who was born, took on flesh, and walked among us so we can live in relationship with Him! You've got this!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rised upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Have questions or want to learn more? Email Info@hsvba.com