Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Wow, You're..... Strict

Listening to: The Bounty Girls

Mood: Calm

My eldest daughter just entered Kindergarten last week. (Enter usual laments about how fast time goes by and children grow here) I’ve always been on the strict side with her. I will be with my youngest too. I feel children need leadership and boundaries to grow up right. Just my personal child rearing philosophy. I’ve commented before about how parenting is becoming less and less up to the parents and more and more of peer pressure and outside interference and regulation. I’ve also commented about parents who feel it’s their right to make judgmental comments on how other parents do their thing. One of the comments that I received recently that really bothered me: “Wow, you’re…..strict.” In a condescending tone as if I beat my children with a wooden spoon to keep them in line. (By the way, that’s how my dad kept me in line. Not that I in any way condone that.) So let me get this straight. You want to judge me for trying to raise a socially conscious, courteous, law abiding child? Um, what? It’s not really a new thing, but it is still very much in vogue to be friends with your kids. My generation as parents seem to have a need to be liked. I never subscribed to this theory. I love my children, my children love me. However, they don’t have to like me. In fact, they probably shouldn’t like me, at least until they turn 25. If they do, I feel like I’m not doing my job. Kids should not get everything they want or ask for. They just don’t have enough information or life experience to know what’s best for them. So yes, I am strict. Raising kids is a hard job. Hard enough without fellow parents being snarky. I don’t mind being seen as strict. I agree that if you start seeing me beat my children in public that I probably need to be stopped, but until then, let me raise my kids as I see fit.

Becky