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Aug. 19, 2006
Seven Habits!!!
 
I have a book I really like for teens called The 7 Best Things Smart
Teens Do. These habits are great for teens to master, good for younger
kids to learn and practice and excellent for moms and dads to model! I
am going to use them as the format for my 7 habits:
1) Become
Competent: this means get in the habit of practicing new skills until
they are mastered and always reviewing old skills. The more competent
you feel the more honest self-esteem you have, making you a much more
successful and effective person!
2) Master Your Feelings: this
means stop and think before just reacting, too often 'feelings' get in
the way of good solid communication and learning. Figure out what you
are feeling and why, and keep it appropriate to the moment. Learn and
practice ways to control your emotions--deep breating, making lists,
exercising....
3) Breaking the Silence: getting in the habit
of finding people whom we can trust and with whom we can share our
deepest secrets and feelings is a cornerstone of good emotional health
and power. Pretending everything is always 'perfect' and having no one
you trust to love you worts and all is too scary a place to live. I
think homeschooled teens and homeschooled moms have to work very hard
to develop these relationships.
4) Getting Healthy Power: get
in the habit of setting realist consequences, enforce them consistently
and have a small numer of reasonable rules..... not only will parents
and kids both feel empowered, but they will actually really and truly
enjoy each others company!
5) Face the Serious Stuff: I think
this one goes back to making sure there are people around you that you
can trust. If you are in the habit of uncovering and admitting when you
are struggling, it stops the cycle of hurting, acting out, shame,
covering up, more hurting, more acting out and even more shame......
6) Finding An Identity: get in the habit of self evauation. Here are a
few goal markers that are more like sliding scales....trust vs
mistrust( I have people I can share the 'real me' with); autonomy vs
shame and doubt (My feelings are ok even though they are different than
yours); initiative vs guilt (I washed the car? Do you think I could use
it today?); competence vs inferiority (I like the fact I play hockey
well); identity vs identity confusion (I'm not sure where I will be in
my 30's, but I am confident that what I am learning now will be useful
to me later in life)
7) Staking Out the Extremes: get in the
habit of finding the middle ground. Rarely are things 'as bad as they
seem' or will 'last forever' even though as a teen (or even a parent)
it seems that way. Never and Always, are not as useful terms as
sometimes or giving specific perameters. This works for arguments,
lessons, siblings, etc...
These habits are a bit different
than others, but they are ones I still work on and practice! I wish I
had learned many of them much earlier in life!!!
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What Type of Homeschooler Are You?
Galileo - If it is worth learning, it has been printed
in Latin. You want your children to have a
classical education. You teach the Trivium of
grammar,
logic, and rhetoric, and the Quadrivium
of arithmetic,
geometry, music, and astronomy.
Ancient history is
fascinating to you, and you
own several Greenleaf
Guides to prove it.
Visit my blog:
http://www.GuiltFreeHomeschooling.blogspot.com
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Posted by 
Aug. 19, 2006 - Thank you for your contribution
Maureen