Over the long term, slipping can occur for a number of reasons.
The most frequent culprits are visitors, illness, travel, new babies, and
plain forgetfulness. Gradually you find yourself talking too much,
forgetting your Start behavior routines, and not enjoying your kids
anymore. Then one night, you wake up at 3:00 a.m. and wonder,
“What happened to the 1-2-3 method?”
Emotional Obstacles
Slipping can also occur in certain situations where your thoughts and
emotions conspire to throw you off track. In these situations, it’s not
so much that you forget what you should do. Instead, emotional forces
inside, caused by a little bit of screwy thinking, push you toward a
bad discipline response.
How do you manage these unwanted tests of your will? Clear
thinking—along with a little effort and courage—is often needed.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Anxiety: What will people think?
Wrong way: You have two other couples over for dinner, and you’re
sitting at the table with them and your son and daughter, ages six and
eight. The kids start poking one another. Daughter pushes Son and
says, “Leave me alone!” One of your guests laughs and says
nervously, “Well, kids are always kids, aren’t they?” You think, “I
don’t want to embarrass myself and everyone else by disciplining my
kids at the dinner table.” You laugh along with your friend.
Right way: You think, “Our friends may wonder what I’m doing, but
I’d better nip this fight in the bud.” You say, “Guys, you’re both on a
1.” Then you briefly explain counting to your guests.