Schedules, Chores, and Positive Reinforcement – Steve’s Daddy Tips 2-5-20

Hi, I’m Steve and I’m a new Dad who has learned a lot of things over the last several months and I want to pass along some knowledge to you!

Each week I will be giving you some new tips for first-time parents and one spectacular Dad joke!  So let's get to the tips!

1. Today’s first Daddy tip is all about that bedtime routine. One of my earliest Daddy tips was to get your kid on a bedtime routine and stick to it, so I’m here again to tell you that bedtime schedules work. I wanted to say this again because I’ve talked to a couple of friends of mine with kids about Charlotte’s age who didn’t do a scheduled bedtime and their kids go to bed between like 10 and midnight. Say what? You gotta start early with your bedtime schedule and make sure to stick to it so you can avoid a super late bedtime for your kiddo.
2. The next Daddy tip is to keep having your toddler help with work around the house. Charlotte loves helping empty the dishwasher, she’s always excited to bring someone a glass of water, and she is always sweeping and swiffering the floors. So, we are constantly trying to find new chores to teach her. Well, when she came home from daycare yesterday I noticed a stamp on her hand so I asked her teacher about it and she got it because she was helping the teacher with cleaning up. So putting your kid to work early and often can translate to them being good little helpers.
3. And the final Daddy tip of the week is to make sure you are giving your little one positive reinforcement when they do something good. Now that your kid is a toddler, they do a lot of things they aren’t supposed to, so you’re constantly telling them no, or stop, or put that back. But, we’ve noticed that some days we tell Charlotte “no” a lot, and rarely tell her when she is being good. No one likes to be told no all the time, so make sure you stop and give your little one some positive reinforcement when they are being good.

And now it's time for an awesome Dad Joke!

Q: What did one ocean say to the other?
A: Nothing, they just waved.

Listen to the entire segment below: