Posted: Jul 24, 2008, 2:46 AM CST
Oo it's so hard to get the balance right isn't it. Knowing when to release a little more rein.
My kids do have quite a lot of freedom.. but more down to where we live.. There isn't a huge amount for them to do .. or many places they can go here. So I can practically stick my head out the window (I don't btw lol) and shout them to find them.
I always try to think.. hmmm.. if I let them do that now.. what do I have to give them next year?.. and the year after etc.. because they will have already done it. So I often do keep the reins back a little.
I think I am pretty easy going and lenient with mine .. I try to be fair. But they still complain sometimes that .. '
Everyone else's mum lets them blah blah blah' ..
and I think yeah.. that's because '
Everyone else's mum is in the pub get plastered and doesn't give a toss where their kids are..
But I do think it's hard to get the right balance.. I do agree with Tina in that if you don't take a deep breath sometimes and let them do a little more than you would like.. then they are possibly more likely to do it anyway and just not tell you.
We had a festival here recently. I kinda like right in the middle of it.. the little town is closed off to traffic and the children are
all scattered about all over the place having fun with all the stalls and music and stuff.
My (just) 12yr old son called me and said.. 'Mum .. can I have some alcohol?' ...
I said 'Errrmm.. no'
He said.. ' Aaww mumm pleeeease'
I said ' Ermm.. Noooo you can't'
He said.. ' But all my friends have some' (and named them all)
He told me some of the parents had given it to them.. and was he allowed to drink some of it too.
I said 'no.. I'm sorry honey but you are only 12yrs old.. your body is too little for alcohol.. it's illegal.. the police are everywhere today.. if you get caught we will all be in big trouble..I really don't want you too'
He said.. 'Aawww.. ok.. well I'm going to buy a new cap gun then'
(haha)
I said .. 'Oo okay' ..
It just made me laugh that he called me (so young) and ASKED me.. bless'im.
If that would have been me at that age.. my parents wouldn't have known a thing until I came home legless.