Parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen shares five tips for running a harmonious household under lockdown. He says the key is getting the family to work as a team, and for parents, that might mean listening more and speaking less.

Parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen shares his tips for running a harmonious household under lockdown.

He says the key is getting the family to work as a team, and for parents, that might mean listening more and speaking less.

Listen to the full interview with Joseph Driessen

Be the captain of yourself and your ship

Look after yourself

Find a time and place to centre your yourself

Reflect and positive self-talk

Acknowledge what is difficult

Journal

Practice mindfulness / meditation / a walk / running etc

Look after your relationship with your partner

Work together: Care and maintain the relationship.

Engine room of a family = Core harmony and love of the parents

Children will then be deliriously happy too.

Work together to steer the ship

A (rough) for plan each week

A (rough) for plan Each day

Provide a basic structure

Good eating

Periods of rest and quiet

Freedom and play

Individual activities

Jointly coming together

2. A happy family runs itself.

1 Family is like a sailing boat, balanced and steers itself with constant little interventions

2 Find the rhythm of your family

3 Nudge towards harmony each day anew.

4 Accept the fluctuations and steady the ship

5 Every day is a new adventure

6 Leadership flexibility and problem solving.

3. Every member of your family is part of the crew

1 A place of their own

2 A series of jobs.

3 Coaching. Scaffolding. Delegation. Ownership. Reporting and coaching

4 Part of a team. Making contribution.

5 T.E.A.M motto: Together Everyone Achieves More.

6 Create a family charter, either informally or formally.

7 Manage each child individually

8 Then their relationships with others.

4. Practice your emotional intelligence skills each day.

1 Listen more and speak less.

2 Help your children to recognize, accept and honour, label and manage their emotions.

3 Coach socially acceptable way to express these emotions.

4 Show empathy and patience.

5. Facilitate independent play and learning (Learn what great parents and teachers do)

1 Facilitate your children to play / learn independently

2 All children have their own interests which you can build on

3 Activating their delight and imagination with a new world you introduce to them

4 Letting them process and build their interpretation of that new-found universe

5 Providing resources…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details