Is your child’s room a mess? Do you struggle to get them to take you seriously when you ask them to clean up? Room cleanliness is a big concern for many parents and it’s one that I’m working on with my own kids as well. Whenever someone comes to me for help with a problem, I ask them who it is that will ultimately benefit from the behavior we want to see occur. Sometimes, we aren’t sure, but it’s important to understand what’s preventing a child from doing the task at hand. It’s usually either a problem with understanding the instructions or a lack of motivation. With cleaning rooms, quite often there’s a lack of motivation, as the cleanroom benefits the parent more than the child.

Kids aren’t always naturally motivated by having a room that’s neater or more hygienic, so you’ll need to find alternative sources of motivation. Using positive reinforcement techniques allows us to help motivate our kids without turning into someone they want to avoid or escape from. The key to getting kids to do things without having to nag or yell is making sure they have good experiences that make them think, “wow, I’m really glad I did this.” Figure out what motivates your children and start to build healthy routines to see results.

What’s Inside:

• The difference between positive and negative reinforcement
• Why using negative reinforcement can be counterproductive
• What to do if a task is too big for reinforcement to work

Mentioned In This Episode:

Just7Steps.com/workshop

Welcome to the Just 7 Steps Podcast! I’m Robert Schramm, board-certified behavioral analyst, educator, author, and developer of the 7 Steps to Successful Parenting. For over 20 years, I’ve been teaching parents and professionals how to support children in developing the values and priorities needed to live a successful life. In each episode of my podcast, you’ll hear from experts in education, parenting, and behavioral analysis. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to be your best in Just 7 Steps!

In this first episode, I share how and why I created the 7 Steps, including how I started my career. I’ll also share stories of how the 7 Steps have helped parents and how they can help you as well. These steps are the best way to interact with your children, helping you make good decisions when responding to their behavior. Whether you’re the parent of a child who’s been struggling with a child’s behavior, or you’re an educator or analyst familiar with my work, the 7 Steps are your best bet to finding the right answer.

What’s Inside:

• The story behind the creation of the 7 Steps.
• How the 7 Steps can help both parents and educators.
• Real examples of parenting with the 7 Steps.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Just7Steps.com/workshop