Train them step by step in excruciating detail.

                Michael Jordan was not born a basketball superstar. He learned his skills sequentially and methodically. Dr. Stanley Greenspan notes, “In much the same way, many tasks that your school-age child needs to master are made up of separate steps.… By teaching her how to apply a step-by-step method to any task she sets out to master, you’re giving her a tool she can use throughout her life.”

               When teaching a new skill, like dishwashing, to my children, I follow these steps. First, they watch me do the dishes. Then I watch them do it a few times, and make helpful, non-critical suggestions, such as reminding them to turn cups upside-down to drain, or to place silverware in the holder so it will dry out. After they have watched me, and I have watched them a few times, then they are ready to begin doing the task on their own.

Life Skills For Kids: Equipping Your Child For The Real World

by Christine M. Field

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. ~ 3 John 4

Dad