I’m a Mean Mommy. My kids are (usually) in bed at 7:30. They MUST say please and thank you and be excused from the table before they get up from dinner. I have and will continue to throw away toys if they don’t clean them up. Aaaannnndddd tantrums result in an immediate one-way ticket to their room. Where there are no toys, because they have either been thrown away or used as a weapon (my poor door). Granted, most of these rules apply to my almost four-year-old….but the baby seems to already know the meaning of the word NO!
And, no, my kids are not perfect (far from it), but to me these seem to be simple rules that we all grew up with. Growing up, I didn’t dare sass my mom, or roll my eyes at my teacher. We knew we better respect grown ups, or there would be a price to pay. Now, I feel like we treat our children like little paper dolls that might rip if we give them a three minute time-out. I remember spending many afternoons in my room crying because I broke a rule. And, I survived. I was not permanently scarred for life. I didn’t need therapy as an adult.
I refuse to let my child be the boss in my house.
That being said, I do pick my battles. If my son refuses to leave the house without wearing his rain boots when it’s 90 degrees out……who cares? I just pack a pair of sandals and move on. But, when he tells me the chicken on his dinner plate is disgusting and wants yogurt for dinner? Guess what? He can eat that disgusting chicken or be hungry for the night.
You might ask yourself, does this woman even love her children? YES! I love them so much, I am teaching them how to succeed in life through hard stuff! I get that they are only little for such a short time. And, we embrace that as parents. We have a lot of fun, but also expect a lot from them too. And I’m not talking straight A’s or being MVP on their sports team. I’m talking about them giving 100% when they want something and not giving up. I’m talking about when things are not going the way they want to persevere and figure out a way make the best of it. I’m talking about them knowing the value of being kind and respectful.
Life is going to get really tough some day. But right now, they are living the good life! They have a roof over their head, Disney on demand and wear more expensive clothes then I do! I do want them to enjoy being a child, but at the same time, that does not mean they need to become selfish brats (my worst nightmare) . There is a balance, and I constantly wonder where that fine line is.
The other night after putting the kids down, I finally sat on the couch and immediately heard the door open and little feet run down the hallway……..I cringed, waiting to hear whining and some unreasonable demand.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to tell you I love you. G’night”
And then my heart burst into a million pieces. I realized I must be getting at least some of this parenting thing right.
