Warning Words Worksheet

The bag comes out after one warning. Before anyone's in trouble, sort what's been happening, then write the warning in the words you'll really say. Do this at a calm time, not right after a fight.

On a phone, scroll sideways inside the form to see all of it, or print it.

WARNING WORDS · ________________ family · Date: __________

Step 1. List what kept happening this past week.
  1. ______________________________________
  2. ______________________________________
  3. ______________________________________
  4. ______________________________________
  5. ______________________________________
  6. ______________________________________

Step 2. Mark each one:
  C = a CHOICE (throwing food, hitting, lying, breaking on purpose)
  S = a SKILL that's still growing (forgetting, losing things, slow mornings)
  K = just being a KID (spills, accidents, noise, being three)

Step 3. Cross out every S and K. Those get reminders, help and patience,
        never the bag.

Step 4. For each C, write the warning the way you'll say it:
  "If you ______________________ again, it's the bag."
  "If you ______________________ again, it's the bag."
  "If you ______________________ again, it's the bag."

Step 5. If it happens again after the warning, say one word: "Bag."
        Hurting someone skips the warning.

This isn't the only list. Any choice gets one warning.

Tips

Pick ten of the pack's fifteen tiles together, plus the free pass. The draw decides, even when the tile is lighter or harsher than what happened.
If your kid can't control it (tired, sick, scared, sad), it never gets a warning or a draw.
At ten, the bag is for choices, not forgetting.
Warn once. A second and third warning teach your kid that warnings don't mean anything.

The lesson: Warn once, in the words you'll really say. Then let the bag decide.