One of the writing prompts was ‘parenting’. Loaded topic if you ask me. No expert advice here but all my kids can cook and they have all appendages still attached. I think that deserves a little bonus point right there.
If there is one thing I have learned it is that no kid is exactly like another. Parenting needs to reflect that. Of course standard safety rules apply. Don’t run with knives, don’t talk to strangers, etc. All safety aside, what I do with my kids may be polar opposite to your parenting style and vice versa. You have to figure that parenting is much like a toddler’s appetite. As long as you get the 5 major food groups into that kid over the course of a week it is not so imperative that they ingest them all in one meal. Same thing with parenting. When you are doing your best to raise a happy, healthy functioning adult that contributes to society you will have days when you do all the good things. You will have days when you mess up royally. Over the course of a week’s time if you get more good than not- you’re probably going in the right direction.
My kids do chores. I love chores. I really do. I love working together and getting stuff done! My kids, not so much. They will thank me later. If you don’t have chores at your house you might have a cleaner house than mine because you have someone who is more detail oriented doing the cleaning. My house is cleaned by kids. You are welcome to visit anytime but please keep that thought in mind if you do.
We have animals and the kids feed them. I feed the kids. That’s the current system. Once in a while they feed me. It’s a pretty sweet deal. See, if you teach them to cook your house may be a disaster but they will want to practice and then you get a meal and they get life skills. Then they can clean up during chore time. It’s great. We are all winners!
Anyway, each to his own on this parenting gig. I have seen kids who stay up with mom and dad until 12 every night. They stagger into school and try to stay awake. I think “What is wrong with these parents!”… BUT, the kid is fed, well dressed and most importantly, LOVED. I don’t dictate their bedtime. (although I wish I could on test day)
One of the things that kind of hurts my hear is to see kids that miss their parents. Not because they are away but because they never see them. When both mom and dad are working it’s tough to squeeze in time for those kids. If I could I would change that too.
I am not perfect and neither are you. Let’s just move forward from there. What works for one will not work for all so let’s accept our differences. Being a mom is tough work. It’s messy and thankless. It has no glory or trophy. Why do we have to make it harder on one another? I vow to help a mom in need and to love my fellow mama. We cannot walk in one another’s shoes but we can be more understanding.
Keep up the good work!
Hennekes At Home 