Angry DadAngry Dad
← The low-tech fixes

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Let Them Write Their Own List

The problem

A list you stuck on the wall gets treated like a parking fine. A list they made themselves gets followed.

The fix

Hand over the marker. Let them build their own morning and night routine. They own it, so they'll actually do it — and they'll put things on it you'd never have thought to add.

How to actually do it

  1. 1Hand them the marker and ask: what does your morning actually need? Let them list it.
  2. 2Don't quietly correct it into your version. If they miss something, it'll surface — then they fix it.
  3. 3Let it change. The best routines get edited by the kid who owns them.

Why it works

A routine you impose is a rule to push against; a routine they built is theirs to be proud of. Ownership is the whole trick — they'll follow their own list when they'd flat-out ignore yours.

One of these in your inbox each week.

A working fix — low-tech or automated — every Sunday.

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