Saturday, March 04, 2006
Random Thoughts on Parenting....
I have been thinking a lot lately about parenting styles...I know everyone has their own... I was raised in a very strict household...I don't even remember having a date until I had moved out of the house at 17...(Not to say I didn't sneak around at school with boys...but for the most part I was pretty straight and pure until I moved out of the house) I have started thinking about how I will handle this situation with my boys when they are older...Austin is 8 and already has a girlfriend at school..I find notes in his backpack all the time...it is so cute..He is still at the phase where he thinks girls are kinda yucky but he likes this girl and so they write cute notes back and forth...his usually have flames and hearts on them and hers have hearts and rainbows...ahh puppy love... Aaron who is 6 "claims" to have a girlfriend in 5th grade...LOL Personally it scares the crap out of me to think of my boys dating....If I had it my way they would be locked up until they were done with college and could support themselves(and any illigitimate children they may have..) but I can't do that so now I have to start thinking about what I will say to them to make them be "smart" when it comes to girls and you know the birds and the bees... I learned about the birds and the bees from a filmstrip and pamphlet in school in health class...I do not want my boys to learn about it that way...but even thinking of the words to say gives me the heebie jeebies...and I fear what Bart will say if I leave it up to him....mainly because he and I were raised so differently and I am not sure of how he learned about all that stuff...should make good conversation later though when I ask..LOL I guess all I can do is do what I feel is right in my heart and hope for the best...I think kids are a reflection of their parents...If you raise them to know right from wrong...and teach them morals..and train them to have good character then you should be ok...but I have recently learned that is not a guarantee....there are other outside influences too...and I guess the best way to handle that is to sort of filter the friends and acquaintances that your kids have..a lot can be going on right under your nose and you don't even see it... In the end it is not my job to be my kids friend....I am their mother...You cannot be both...I have told Austin that many times...of course I would love for them to feel like they can always come to me to talk but when red flags are raised there will be reactions on my part...I think that is part of the problem with some of the parents in the world today....they are too busy trying to be their kids friends.....they are afraid to parent the kids for fear the kids will be "mad" at them.....Personally I could care less if one of my kids gets mad at me...at the end of the day my kids know that I love them...and they are well cared for....and when they are grown they will thank me for the structure and limits they had set on them as kids...it will be what shapes and molds their character... Just remember....if you don't shape their character someone else will....and there's a good chance it won't be the type of influence you want in the long run... I know you can't put kids under glass for their whole life....I shudder to think of how much more stressed I would be with 3 daughters...now that thought just gives me chills... I don't envy anyone who has to raise a daughter in these days and times....Gimme a smelly old boy any day... Ok well enough rambling...Just wanted to put that out there...Any comments???? Cat
Posted by Catwmn ::
1:22 PM ::
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