My 2 Cents on an Article Concerning Todays Parenting

I have a parent coaching crush on Dr. Kevin Leman, but this guy really gets it too. "Instead of parents exercising their authority because they know what’s best, they are focusing on making children happy and boosting their self-esteem." Ugh! Read what physician, Leonard Sax, wants parents to know or rather change.   Then read my blog post on happiness. :)

First of all we eat dinner together as a family every night. There are no screens in my children's rooms, our family laptop is downstairs in the kitchen, and while Sax says teach humility I think he means teach empathy. You have to model for your child how to put themselves in other people's shoes to feel how they feel. And I have told my kids time and time again, "it is not my job to make things fair for everyone in our house. It is my job to teach you how to properly behave in society and show Christ when I'm not there." Needless to say they have quit saying, "that's not fair." They start to say it and stop themselves or remind one an other, "I know, know, it's not meant to be fair. It's meant to teach a lesson." :) Job done. We do not have 1 iPad in our house and my kids will never have screens in their rooms and I hear about it all the time now from my 9 year old. "So and so's mom lets them have a t.v. and/or a computer in their room...so and so's dad let's them play on their own iPad whenever they want...so and so is allowed to watch pg-13 movies..." and the list goes on. Our 9 year old is beginning to complain that we treat her like a baby because all her friend's get to do the above mentioned. She complains that she has to use the same computer the rest of the family uses downstairs. Yep! And I think that's a sign of good parenting when your kid compares you, the lame parent, to the cool parents. We eat dinner as a family and back our child's teacher. Each child helps pick up their own room and each big kid sorts and folds their own laundry and helps clean the kitchen every night among other weekly chores. I think my kids have lots of privleges and get away with more than they should, but I am not going to ask my kid permission for anything. I expect them to show gratitude and use self-control. I do not expect them to be happy all the time.

We play outside a lot, a lot and are expected to show empathy towards one another.

Instead of playing on the playground, Bo finds a stick and puddle and plays there for half an hour. :)

Rhett decorates the driveway and himself with shaving cream.

Kellyn packed a bag of snacks for everyone to take to the park.