Originally Posted by pookie ookie
Love everyone who's saying, "My House, my rules."
This is a great life lesson. The rest of the world is not Mama. This knowledge really is a fundamental element of success.
Do you x-stitch? Ever made a sampler? How about hanging up a pretty sampler which reads, "My House. My rules." or, "Grandma's House. Grandma's rules."
You could add pointing at the sampler to your routine. You'll have The Look and The Point.
My fave is the "Life's unfair." sampler. When they hit the "That's not faaaaiiiir!" age, they'll be biting their tongues and holding back. No kid enjoys having their whine interrupted by a dismissive "Life's unfair."
Ah, good times. Thanks for the memories.
I was going to back off for awhile, but I just HAD to write <g>
I don't remember it, but my mother tells me that when we were growing up, we told her the only reason she and dad had had us was to do all their work .... r i g h t!
So, when the kids got old enough to grumble about chores, I just gave it to them straight:
You were born so I would have someone to do my work. Get busy!
It took all the guess work out of everything and then they REALLY had something to whine about! LOL <wave>
oh, and I found out that kids weren't born so we could reason with them.
They were born so that the reasons we choose what we choose is because we have a reason and WE know what the reason is!
Children are designed to challenge us in our perceptions - - validate them or change them, but children function best when they are surrounded by adults who are in control and know how to be adults. There is a reason children look UP to see you, and that reason isn't to bully them, it is so that they comprehend there are big people around to protect them, teach them, provide for them, and guide them.