Who's on the Naughty List?
Hey parents! It's the Holiday season, and I tend to be more Naughty around this time of year - at work, with my eating habits, and with my girls! I know what you are thinking! But what I am really saying is that I tend to be more lenient this time of year and let things slide...
So, I would love to know - if you could (or do!) let your kids get away with breaking just one rule this time of year, what would it be? For me, bed time ceases to exist around the holidays, as well as my 1 treat a day rule - I have a weakness for cupcakes and cookies and peanut butter balls!
And while I am on this topic... I think there are some rules kids should break all year round!
- Finish everything on your plate - or you don't get to leave the table!
Really, is one mouthful of mashed potato going to make a difference? Instead of making children sit at the table until they finish while everyone else sits there annoyed and frustrated - why not just wrap up the plate and then unwrap it later when they are hungry again?
- It's your bedtime - Go to sleep now!
If your kids aren't tired, what harm can an extra 10 minutes do? Besides, this will give you the perfect excuse to spend extra time to cuddle with them on the sofa or on the porch, just watching the stars... And, I am not gonna lie here - sometimes, if they are just in their room quietly I don't even care if they are sleeping!
- Stop asking so many questions - just do it because we said so...
"Because we said so". In all honesty, every time my mom said this to me, I was even more tempted to do the opposite just to see how many "because we said so's" she would pass out before giving up
-- I know I was the kind of child we all secretly fear we will have!
Sometimes I think adult just make up rules so kids won't bother them - I felt that way as a kid and still feel that way as an adult watching watching people deal with kids. I mean, just think, have you ever tried going through the day being spontaneous and carefree without worrying to much about what's right or wrong or supposed to be done? What if we gave our kids a week where we let them be responsible for themselves? I bet as parents we would find that they do a really good job! Maybe the 1st day they would go overboard with their new found freedoms, but I bet by the end of the week they would be adopting behaviors we approved of - on their own accord!
I think my real annoyance is that half of the time, parents don't even explain why they've set the rules - and this isn't going to help kids abide by them.
Now that I have vented it's your turn to 'break' the rules! Leave below the rules that you think should be broken (sometimes) in the comments box and share it with the rest of us!
Or if you have any fun stories or experiences about breaking typical parenting rules with your kids, share it with us too!
Thanks!
Melissa
When my boys were little my mother would be so worried when they climbed trees or do something "dangerous". If she saw them climbing a tree she would shout out "Be careful, you'd fall!" and true enough they would fall. My younger one who's in his teens is now afraid of heights. If only they were allowed to explore and be a little naughty and climb not only on trees but on our heads sometimes it would have been great. Funny when I was little I was allowed to climb trees. Lucky for me my grandmother wasn't around to see that.
One of the most important things that I have learned from and always disturbed me as a child. Is the saying "Because I said so" I'm so glad that you touched on that subject. That is one thing, I will never tell my child. There should always be a reason behind something, or else our children will not get the picture, I always thought that they we're just being bully's. When really the problem was that they were just to lazy to really explain to me the real reasoning behind it. I could go on and on about the things that my parents shouldn't of done or said to me but, in looking back at it.. it doesn't make me happy to think about the things they shouldn't of done. I try to focus on the things that they were great at. I seem to look at life a lot differently now that I lost my mother, my best friend, a couple years ago. I appreciate her so much more because I can step back and take a look at everything from a third perspective. This is how we should look at parenting to. Stop being Lazy! Take initiative and have fun!!!