Don’t Waste Time Giving Your Child the Same Lecture Over and Over
My wife has a great quote about learning that perfectly sums up why parents must not waste time giving their child the same lecture over and over.
Telling is not teaching, listening is not learning.
Chances are that whatever lecture you give your child about self-motivation, discipline, and sacrifice they have already heard before. There is no reason to give your child the same lecture week after week like a broken record.
Lecturing doesn’t build self-motivation, discipline or break bad habits. Instead, a better option is to consider changing the child’s boundaries and routines. For example, if you want your child to spend less time playing video games and more time working towards life goals, establish strict boundaries on gaming time. Or, if a child is not consistent with schoolwork, establish a daily routine with specific triggers for starting and finishing.
Boundaries and routines are the foundation for change. Everything from changing sleeping habits, morning / after school habits, eating habits, reading habits, study habits, or physical / mental training habits must be on the table.
Lectures are taking the easy way out. As one of my favorite quotes suggest:
Decisions are not made with words, but with actions.
Dan Millman
Likewise, change is not made with words, but with actions.