Suzy’s Place

Confess!  Go ahead!  We all do it! If you're a parent, when your first child was born, you swore you wouldn't be like your parents.  Hey, I admit it.  I did the same thing.  My parents drove me crazy at times, and there were very specific things that I swore I wouldn't do.

The first thing that comes to mind is the "Because I said so!"  I admit, I've done it.  It just gets to the point that you don't have an answer that a 5 year old will find logical.  So we revert to that ever handy declaration that I'm the boss, and you're not, so just listen to me!

Another thing I decided to do differently was to have a reason before I just said no.  And as MsGeek and MiniMe reach their teen years and have more going on in their lives than I do, I find this one a challenge at times.  Am I saying no simply because I'm too tired or lazy to deal with the logistics of hauling a group of their friends to the movies?  Or is there a real reason buried in there? 

I take this one pretty seriously and think before I say no.  They still  don't like the "no" answer, but I think this strategy really helps in minimizing the rebellion.  I usually have good reasons when I do say no, and it's not just "because I said so."

For instance, MsGeek wants to go to a sleep-over birthday party for her friend who is turning 16.  Well, I know her friend and her family, so we need to find out some details.  For instance, are there going to be boys there?  If so, when are they going home? 

Well, come to find out, the boys are spending the night, too.  Granted there’s a mother-in-law house in the back that the boys are "supposed" to sleep in.  But like I said, I know the family and I can’t say they’re the more "alert" when it comes to this type of thing.  So MsGeek and I had to have a long talk… about sex of course :)  And I pointed out to her that the main reason that girls her age have sex is because the opportunity is there.  (I’ll get into this in another post).

She was disappointed, but she understood there was a valid reason for me to say no, so she got over it.

What’s the one thing you do differently as a parent than your folks did?

Suzy's Place is essentially a mommy's blog, hosted by me, Suzy.  Here I share my thoughts and views on life as a mom, being a wife, working at home, and various other insignificant things that happen within my insane life.  If you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it, I encourage you to get your daily dose of insanity by subscribing to my updates!