If you ask my kids if I was a "mean" mom, you might see them nodding vigorously.
Of course, their definition of mean might not be someone elses.
In our house, having a "mean" mom (and dad) meant:
-no TV on school nights (Sunday thru Thurs)
and limited time even on weekends.
-chores were assigned to all... (cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dishes, etc)
-video games only on weekends (and waiting until age 12 to play!) and limited.
-at age 10, all kids start doing their own laundry: washing, drying, folding, putting away.
-outside activities (dance, sports, etc) were also limited, as driving 3 kids three different places at the same time was impossible!
-The same healthy food was served to everyone at supper, and if someone chose not to eat it,
the next meal was breakfast.
-Playing outside everyday was a given.
-Watching PG-13 movies were forbidden until they reached the
age of...yup, you guessed it, 13.
-Early bedtimes (7:30-8) until middle school, and then only until 9pm
-Everyone was expected to clean up after themselves.
-There were consequences for actions that broke the rules, for example, no TV or computer time for 2 - 4 weeks; no going to friend's houses, an even earlier bedtime!, etc.
-But, this "mean" mom loved her 3 children more than words can express; more than there are stars in the sky, more than life itself.
-This "mean" mom hugged her 3 kids a lot, kissed them over and over, and never, ever, spanked them.
-This mean mom brought them to the library, the zoo, hiking, camping, and swimming.
-This mean mom let them keep their own bedrooms messy if they wanted...up to a point.
-This mean mom ended up having three kids who grew up loving books, three kids who could function quite independently at a pretty young age, three kids who were well behaved, (at least in public :)
and
three kids who LOVE board games, especially Taylor,
and yes, three kids who also love to watch TV and play on the computer. (sigh)
The other day, Taylor babysat for her little cousins, and one of the first things they did was pull out our well worn and well loved LIFE board game.
Molly and Rebecca loved it too.
It made this "mean" mom's heart sing.
Of course, their definition of mean might not be someone elses.
In our house, having a "mean" mom (and dad) meant:
-no TV on school nights (Sunday thru Thurs)
and limited time even on weekends.
-chores were assigned to all... (cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dishes, etc)
-video games only on weekends (and waiting until age 12 to play!) and limited.
-at age 10, all kids start doing their own laundry: washing, drying, folding, putting away.
-outside activities (dance, sports, etc) were also limited, as driving 3 kids three different places at the same time was impossible!
-The same healthy food was served to everyone at supper, and if someone chose not to eat it,
the next meal was breakfast.
-Playing outside everyday was a given.
-Watching PG-13 movies were forbidden until they reached the
age of...yup, you guessed it, 13.
-Early bedtimes (7:30-8) until middle school, and then only until 9pm
-Everyone was expected to clean up after themselves.
-There were consequences for actions that broke the rules, for example, no TV or computer time for 2 - 4 weeks; no going to friend's houses, an even earlier bedtime!, etc.
-But, this "mean" mom loved her 3 children more than words can express; more than there are stars in the sky, more than life itself.
-This "mean" mom hugged her 3 kids a lot, kissed them over and over, and never, ever, spanked them.
-This mean mom brought them to the library, the zoo, hiking, camping, and swimming.
-This mean mom let them keep their own bedrooms messy if they wanted...up to a point.
-This mean mom ended up having three kids who grew up loving books, three kids who could function quite independently at a pretty young age, three kids who were well behaved, (at least in public :)
and
three kids who LOVE board games, especially Taylor,
and yes, three kids who also love to watch TV and play on the computer. (sigh)
The other day, Taylor babysat for her little cousins, and one of the first things they did was pull out our well worn and well loved LIFE board game.
Molly and Rebecca loved it too.
It made this "mean" mom's heart sing.
1 comment:
Love this post.
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