What do you want for your family in 2010? How about more peaceful dinnertimes? Calmer mornings getting ready for school? An end to nagging kids to do those boring but necessary tasks?

YOU CAN DO IT!

Here's how.

  1. Get Started
  2. Advertisement X

    First, learn a little something about the science of habit formation. Key take-away: change happens in stages, and if you skip a stage, your odds for success will be dramatically lower.

  3. Use the Happiness Habit Tracker
  4. Next, print out some new Happiness Habit Trackers. This tool will help you and your kids form new habits. Remember to make each step RIDICULOUSLY easy.

  5. Get kids to do boring (but necessary) tasks
  6. Replace rewards with this specific kind of encouragement.

If that isn't enough for you, take the test: Handle Bad Behavior in Public Places. This post is based on a real-life parenting moment.

Please write in with the best habits you've helped your kids form, and how you did it. Last week's posting about spirituality is getting some really good comments (I'm taking some heat!) so I'm looking forward to a juicy comment round-up next week.

Happy New Year, all.

© 2010 Christine Carter, Ph.D.

Join the Campaign for 100,000 Happier Parents by signing this simple pledge.

Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook.

Follow Christine Carter on Twitter

Subscribe to the Happiness Matters Podcast on iTunes.

Sign up for the Raising Happiness CLASS!

GreaterGood Tiny Logo Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?
You May Also Enjoy
Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus