[quote]magick wrote:
And here I was thinking you’re a controlling parent. Doesn’t seem to be the case.[/quote]
Thanks.
It’s all a matter of degrees. Do people consider me “controlling” and “hard on my kids”? Yes, particularly when they are younger.
However it all changes as they learn. Once they “get it”, I’m pretty much like “it’s your life to live, here is my advice and what I did when I was your age if you care, but please just think of the consequences.”
I remember when my son was 6 or 7, and he came in from playing in the snow, and tossed his jacket on the ground. I gave him the look, and he then asked “can you hang this up for me?” Knowing he had messed up.
“No, but I’ll help you hang it up yourself.”
My mother-in-law has always had an issue with the way I treated my kids (until she saw the change as the boy aged) shot back at me “how often did you have to hang up your own jacket at that age?”
I just looked at her and said “I want him to be better than I was.”
Was her complaint valid? Sure, particularly from a grandparent. He was young, the hanger was much too tall for him, and he was nervous to go in the basement, you know darkness an all. But end of the day, not only was he not getting away with throwing it on the ground, but he was going to start then, and not a second later, learning what being responsible for his things means.
I can remember the first time I made him help us put away the Christmas decorations like it was yesterday, lmao. Kid was balling up and down the stairs, every trip was like watching a scene from Roots, and you’d think I was whipping him. I still bust his balls to this day, and it was like 10 years ago. Only difference is he sees the humor now. And case in point, I was going to shovel at 730 the other night, after baby girl went to bed. He was going to help. Well he had some Xbox tournament at 730 (I have no idea) so went out, and did the entire drive himself because he wanted to play in the tournament.
I was so impressed. So happy for him… He did good, and I almost teared up, watching him do the right thing, without having to even be told. Put my mind at ease that he’ll be quite alright in life, because he gets it.