CONSISTENCY IS HUGE!
All humans function much better when their environment is consistent and predictable.
What if you went to work everyday and the rules were always different? How would you feel if your boss’ expectations changed everyday? The stress of never knowing what to expect would take its toll very quickly. You would be unhappy, frustrated and probably difficult to get along with. My guess is that you wouldn’t tolerate it for long.
It’s no different for our children. Having a secure and stable environment is a vital component to a child’s mental and emotional health. Like adults, they need to have predictability in their world. They need to know what is expected – good and bad - and see that those expectations are reinforced by the people around them.
What if you went to work everyday and the rules were always different? How would you feel if your boss’ expectations changed everyday? The stress of never knowing what to expect would take its toll very quickly. You would be unhappy, frustrated and probably difficult to get along with. My guess is that you wouldn’t tolerate it for long.
It’s no different for our children. Having a secure and stable environment is a vital component to a child’s mental and emotional health. Like adults, they need to have predictability in their world. They need to know what is expected – good and bad - and see that those expectations are reinforced by the people around them.
