Recently, as I pulled up to an intersection, I noticed a stop sign that hadn’t been there before. It caught my attention, and I was careful to come to a complete stop before proceeding. The stop sign gave me an idea. If stop signs can help grown ups remember to do what we’re supposed to, what about kids?

I decided to put some stop signs up around our house. The signs worked so well, I decided to see if I could get the idea published, and was delighted that Family Fun Magazine wanted to do so! You can find the article on page 40 in the June/July issue. It is called “Positive Signs”.

Here’s the tag line: “Want to steer clear of nagging? Try one mom’s road-tested plan for encouraging cleanup habits.”

But before you proceed, I must share my friend’s experience with her ‘Positive Signs’. She had been in a waiting room at the doctor’s office read my article in Family Fun. She liked the idea, and decided to make some of her own signs at home. She put them up in various trouble spots–like near the shower, where her kids often left their pajamas on the floor.

She was surprised, when she woke up the next morning, to find that the signs had multiplied overnight. There were new signs posted all over her house. One said, “Don’t forget to spray if you stunk up the bathroom!” Another said, “Stop! Little brothers not welcome!” Apparently, her son thought the signs could take care of some of his concerns, too!

However you go about it, may you have a nag-free summer, filled with lots of “Positive Signs”!