As Friday night approaches, during the fifth week of quarantine, and you are enjoying a cocktail or a glass of wine, please think about this: According to Stephen Covey, there are seven habits of highly effective people. The way I see it, there are three to consider now are; Put First Things First, Seek First to Understand and Then To Be Understood, and Sharpen the Saw.
The current situation in the world has many people reassessing what their priorities are. As a children’s advocate, I would say that your well-being is your priority. You can not do a decent job of caring for your loved ones if you don’t take care of yourself. Enjoy your wine or do something else that makes you happy and feel calm.
Then Seek First to Understand, and Then To Be Understood. You may be struggling with your child’s behavior right now. Kids are smart and very perceptive, they could be mirroring your stress. Before reacting, take a few deep breaths, then think about what may be causing the negative conduct. Try to empathize and understand where they may be coming from. When you show your child understanding and respect the feelings they are having; they are much more likely to be able to change their attitude. Now, you are making their well-being a priority, too.
This brings us to the habit of Sharpening The Saw. While you are enjoying your glass of wine, have a conversation with your child. Talk about the good and bad things that are going on and do something fun. Play a game, order pizza, and spend time with your family doing something that everyone will enjoy. Then make it a Friday night ritual.
On this Friday, put yourself and your family first, be aware of what those around you and you may be feeling, and end the week by doing something that will ease the negative impact of COVID-19. Bring more joy and laughter to you and your children. Have a great weekend!
