The Rules of Parenting, 2nd Edition

RULE 36

Set clear targets

Here’s a Rule I picked up from the business world, and a really good one too. Good managers are always on about setting targets and working towards specified goals. And they’re absolutely right. It’s very demoralising if your boss tells you, ‘Sell more!’ You’ve no idea whether the extra 10 per cent sales you’ve managed this month will disappoint them or astound them. And you kinda figure that they have no idea either, otherwise they’d have told you, ‘Sell 10 per cent more!’

So we all know from work that clear targets feel good, you know what’s expected of you, and you feel that your boss cares about your performance. OK then, why do we tell our kids, ‘Keep your room tidier’, or ‘Clean out the rabbit more often’, or ...