I don't know about you, but some days, it feels like all I do is tell my kids not to do stuff. Or to be careful with stuff. Or to do stuff.

Most adults implicitly know to abide by the etiquette without thinking about it. It feels "normal," which makes it more difficult to notice when our kids do it, too.

Deviation sticks out; conformity blends in.

However, if we reinforce the positive when we see it, not only does it make for a calmer and more harmonious home, but it is also a great way to teach a child.

There's a wood stove on the path from my house's living room to its dining room. On the floor in front of it, a glass collects the incandescent bits that might jump out of the stove as we restock it with wood.

We walk a few centimeters from the stove dozens of times every day. But walking around the glass on the floor guarantees a safe distance.

Lucas, my eighteen-month-old son, runs with assurance now. He has no clue about this burning threat of a stove. He often walks on the glass, too close (way too close) to the stove. Luckily, it's cold at this time of year.

It's important to correct his behavior for his own safety. 

Instinctively, we started by telling him not to walk on the glass. But it's only now that we are exaggeratedly praising him for avoiding it that he is complying more and more.

Catch the moments your kid does well, and throw her a proper parade!