POSITIVE Accountability with WWW & W

You know how we always want kids to experience the consequences of their ‘not-so-good’ choices, hoping they will ‘learn their lesson’?  So, WWW & W is the flip side of the coin, so to speak.  It’s the upside, or the positive consequences for things that Went Well.

EXAMPLE-  Let’s say the WWW & W- is “I got to school on time without having to run down the hall to class.”  Why? “Because I put my stuff in my backpack last night and then put it right by the door, so all I had to do was grab it this morning.  No scrambling at the last minute for where I had put my homework or my backpack.  It was all ready to go!”

Now as parents or educators we can point out that the child was accountable for creating his/her own ‘non-rushing, on time’ experience.  Perhaps encouraging them to notice “How does that feel?” and “Was that empowering?” and “If I want to feel that way again, then how?”  Yep, by repeating the same action of packing your backpack the night before.  Now that’s POSITIVE accountability!