Okay, I have been testing this theory and so far so good.
I am a firm believer in teaching your children responsibility and consequences for there actions and choices. In order for me to do what I do for my children I make them carry alot of responsibility. Mind you my children are 9, 7 (on Monday), and 4. I no longer get up with them in the morning. This is our schedule....
700am- Brianna's alarm goes off and she gets up on her own and goes to wake up her sister. They get dressed and they go downstairs to the kitchen where they make breakfast. Just to let you know I am awake and I am actually in the shower getting ready for my day. Sometimes Nic is awake but not always he is LAZY! After the girls eat they pack their lunch (which I randomly check so they know sandwich, chips, cookie, yogurt, fruit or vegetable and juice box or water). When they are done they proceed upstairs where they brush their hair and teeth make the beds and pick up all their laundry. At 820 we leave the house and go to the bus stop.
I was told that some of my friends disagree with the fact that I don't make their lunches or breakfast. That my job as a mother is to provide all of that for them (ha ha hahahahaha) Well my feeling on that is I have seen some of the laziest most disrespectful down right nasty children who care about nothing come from homes with no responsibility's. My girls have come to like the routine we have in place. When they help me I am able to spend more time with them and run them to dance 3 nights a week and spend WHOLE weekends at dance competitions.
When it comes to consequences if I give my kids a choice (and this goes for Nic to) they have to deal with it EX:
I offer you waffles or cereal for breakfast and you choose waffles you are eating them. I tell them that they were given a choice and thats what they choose so deal with it. You have to take ownership of the choices you make and the consequences of doing so.
I am so tired of seeing kids make decisions that end up affecting the parents and they just dont care. I decided early on that for every responsibility I carry my children will do equal (once age appropriate of course). I see kids walk into the house and throw EVERYTHING onto the floor and tell the parents to pick it up WHO TAKES ORDERS FROM THEIR CHILDREN!!!! Hello YOU ARE THE PARENT NOT THEM!
I dont know I am just looking for other mothers opinions regarding this. But I have to say what ever I am doing is working because my daughters teacher told someone else that he didnt know what we were doing to raise such a lovely young lady and whoever is raising her is doing an AMAZING job. I love to hear that!
Dont underestimate the ages of my children Brianna is wise beyond her years and VERY MATURE for her age. I refuse to feel like a slave to my family and I think my children are respecting the fact that I have given them more responsibility.
It warms my heart to see there are good moms out there like you. I agree with you 100% with everything you said. Your job as a mother is to teach you children how to do things and care for themselves, not do things for them that they are capable of doing. And those other mothers will be wishing they were more like you when their little ones become big ones.
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