I just told them that phrase and we dissected it.
"What is an action?"
"Do actions say anything about us and our desires?"
And we went over some examples of when actions and desires don't line up.
My kids are notorious for not staying in their seats during dinner. It is soo frustrating!! I can't tell you how many times I throw their food away and then they come back in crying and wondering where their food is...
"What if you leave the kitchen table during dinner... Do those actions say you are still wanting to eat? What should you do to show you want to continue eating your food?"
"What does grabbing a toy away from someone else say about you and the way you like to play?" (I don't care about others' feelings and I don't mind if people grab things away from me that I am using.)
"How do you show appreciation with actions?" (You can clear your own plate at dinner-time to say thank you for making my food. You can follow directions the first time when asked. You can clean up your toys and take care of things you want to keep and use for a long time. You can go to bed quickly to show appreciation for bed-time stories. You can share with people who share with you...)
"What if you say you want to come with me on an errand, but you don't use the toilet, get on your shoes and coat, and buckle yourself into the car right away... Do your actions say you want to come? What kind of actions would say you want to come?"
Etc.
We all committed to trying to make our actions match what we intended to say that week.
Then we played 2 board games, which the kids loved!
