It may seem incredibly obvious, but don’t YOU like to know what is going to happen in your day? Don’t you like to have a plan when you head out the door and get in the car to go somewhere? Strangely enough, we parents often forget that our children would appreciate being in on the plan too. How often do we put our kids in the car or head out to run errands without preparing them for what is going to happen? Then we wonder why they get irritable and cranky. Letting them know what is going to happen and what will be expected of them makes good sense.
Giving your kids an itinerary of where you are going and what is expected is not only respectful, but it can also help them learn how to plan and organize themselves. Think of it this way, how would you feel if you were told to show up at the airport, get on a plane and “wait until you got there” and you had no idea where you were going?! How would you feel if you got on a plane and thought here were going to Denver, but the plane made 5 or 6 stops before getting there? This is a taste of how our kids feel when we tell them we are going to the park, but we run several errands first! Letting them know what to expect can allow them to prepare for the outing, and it can teach them about planning.
As your child gets older, you can encourage him or her to be part of the planning too. You can tell your child what needs to be accomplished and let him help you to plan the route and figure out the scheduling. Children are much less likely to act out and get cranky if they are part of the planning and they know what is expected.
See Also: Do We Expect More Responsibility from Our Kids?
Make it Easy for Children to Obey