Training Sessions...

I learned about training sessions from the RGT site.

Basically, the concept behind training sessions is that instead of only telling your children what they shouldn't do, you also want to teach them what they Should do.

For example, due to a recent incident, I know my kids need phone training. Here's what it may look like:

Me: Kids, when I am on the telephone, I want you to stay in the same room with me and sit down to a quiet activity so I will be able to hear the person I'm talking to. Got it?
Children: Yes ma'am.
Me: Is the piano quiet?
Children: Noooo.
Me: Is running around playing tag quiet?
Children: Noooo.
Me: Is that sitting down?
Children: Noooo.
Me: Is asking me for cookiescakeicecreamgum quiet? (I usually put some silly ones in there.)
Children: Noooo.
Me: What is quiet?
Children: Books! Puzzles! Legos!
Me: Yes, those are good ideas. Now let's practice. Pretend I'm on the phone. (I put phone to my ear and pretend to talk. Kids get a book or legos.) Good! (Or if they stand up.) You're not sitting. (Or if they get a loud toy.) That's not quiet.
And so on...

One area this has been invaluable is with sitting quietly. We have been to many church meetings lately and people have been amazed that my children can sit through them quietly. This is something we practiced starting with short time periods and building up to longer ones.

Another area where training has been helpful is with saying "yes ma'am/no ma'am". We made a game out of it.

Me: Children, I am going to tell you to do something and I want you to say "yes ma'am". Go put this is the trash.
Child: Yes ma'am. (And does it.)
Me: Hop on one foot.
Child: Yes ma'am. (And does it.)
Me: Pour some water on the floor.
Child: Looks at me questioningly.
Me: Pour some water on the floor. Say yes ma'am.
Child: Yes ma'am. (And does it.)
And so on...

They are finally getting the hang of saying yes ma'am/no ma'am, as is respectful in our area of the country.

I try to keep training sessions fun at first. Then once they have practiced it a bit, I begin to expect the proper behavior.

Sometimes training session are not fun. I know someone who trained who trained an ungrateful child to be thankful by purposely giving the child a smaller piece of dessert so the child would learn to be glad for what she got and not always comparing it to what others have. "You are going to get a smaller piece of pie and if you say anything other than 'thank you', you get nothing at all."

So you can set up training sessions for any number of issues. Some areas we'll be working on are interrupting politely, telephone etiquette, and greetings/introductions.

If you're entering a situation you have trained for, it is helpful to remind your kids of how they should behave. Similar to how our parents would remind us before entering a grocery store that, "You're not getting anything. Don't ask for anything. And you betta not touch anything." But a kinder/gentler version. :)

Disclaimer: If you don't have basic obedience from your child. Re-read the basics of the RGT site and don't bother doing any training sessions. They will be of no use if your children refuse to obey you. Besides, if your children regularly refuse to obey you, you have bigger problems then how they act when you're on the telephone.