My husband and I made an appointment at the bank recently to discuss options for refinancing our mortgage. Our children are 6, 8, and 11; do we get a babysitter for an hour-long meeting? Instead of arranging for a sitter, we had each child bring a couple of activities of their choice that they could do quietly and individually while we met with a bank officer. My two older kids brought a chapter book and summer math packet, and the youngest brought “The Peg Game”, a classic wooden peg and board solitaire game. They sat in comfy couch chairs in the center of the bank while we met with a bank officer in a cubicle space to the side.
After a half an hour, my husband checked in on them. They were happily occupied. We ended up being there for over an hour and received compliments about how polite and well-behaved our children were in the waiting area for so long, especially occupied with activities that do not involve an electronic screen. While I appreciated the kind words, it got me thinking: Continue reading “Redefining Success: The Value of Please and Thank You, Setting Limits, and Non-negotiables.”
