9
GETTING STARTED WITH COUNTING
How to Talk to Your Kids about 1-2-3 Magic
and the New House RulesA QUESTION PEOPLE OFTEN ask at seminars is, “Do you explain to the
kids what you’re going to be doing?” The answer is yes. Starting the
1-2-3 program is fairly easy. The Kickoff Conversation only takes
about five minutes, and a little rehearsing beforehand only takes a few
minutes more. But don’t put a lot of stock in the impact of this initial
conversation. Wishful thinking on your part will not do the job. Lots
of children don’t really get the idea until they’ve been counted for a
while and been to their rooms a few times, or until after they’ve seen
their siblings counted.
If both parents are living at home, or even if Mom and Dad live in
separate places, it’s preferable if both grown-ups sit down together
with the children and do the initial explaining. If you have an ex and
you don’t get along, do the Kickoff separately or the tension between