Thursday, January 22, 2009

S-L-O-W D-O-W-N, S-T-E-V-E!

Steve does everything fast . . . he runs five miles most days . . . he zips through his check-list every weekend . . . he does mental arithmetic rather than use Excel. I can never decide if he is Ricochette Rabbit or Speedy Gonzales! One of the most difficult things about RDI for him is the S word: SLOW! Our consultant came up with a perfect analogy: our consultant is NOT a runner and, if Steve wanted to take her running, he would have to match her pace because she could not match his. Actually, the same is true for me! Steve would definitely have to slow down for me if I ever lost all my marbles and joined him for a jog.

Not only does he need to slow down, Steve needs to try to avoid QPCs: questions, prompts, and commands. Now, imagine asking a former Naval officer and current manager to avoid QPCs! To help him visualize this, we reviewed the Baby Alive video and talked about how he could have avoided QPCs. We realized the key is to fall back on nonverbals and speak declaratively. What worked for Steve was thinking out loud with Pamela. We talked about qualities of being a good guide, such as not being afraid to pause and wait for Pamela to realize she has an opportunity to react, but to avoid demanding a reaction from her.

This may seem obvious and easy, but I remember how HARD it was for me in this stage. I was trying to remember so many things at one time. It looks easy, but it is not! I think he did a fine job of coming out of ludicrous speed and working at Pamela's pace.

Making a List


Shopping


Self-Checkout

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Eh Steve, I know how you feel, this stuff isn't easy is it? LOL! Kudos to you Steve on your willingness to learn. Hang in there,you're a great dad. BTW, I noticed when Pamela knew her role and you slowed down, she filled in nicely and was much more engaged in the process. Pamela is such a sweetie. Rhonda

Anonymous said...

Oh phooey, I can't get the videos to run on this computer. :-( I am struggling with declarative language too, and my husband hasn't even gotten into the game yet. :-)

Anonymous said...

Yeah Pamela!!!! You go girl!!! Dad SLOW down!!! Hey Tammy- so proud of Pamela she is doing so good. Have a great weekend!!!

walking said...

Rhonda, of all people, Steve knows the meaning of "Remediation is a marathon, not a sprint!" He is definitely making strides in this marathon with Pamela.

Mama, I used to imagine I was a combination of Steve in Blues Clues, Mr. Rogers, and Mother Goose (in Pamela's beloved Mother Goose Treasury). It does help when both parents are singing off the same sheet of music!

Robyn, Have a GREAT weekend!

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Poor Pamela is having a bad dream when Dad keeps bringing up food she doesn't like LOL!!

Good job, STEVE!! (Have you ever seen Steve on Blue's Clues? How he slows way, way down for the kids to respond!?)