Raising Children

I have always said that I'm not raising children, I'm raising future adults. What I do now plays a huge role in defining the kind of adult my kids will be. When my kids were little, it drove me up the wall when someone would say, "Oh, they're just being a kid" or "Parents get so upset when their kids act like kids." You know why parents get upset when their kids throw fits in public? Because it's not socially acceptable for an adult to do it. Training our children on what is appropriate social behavior at 4 years old is essential so they don't do the same thing when they're 14. At 4 they're screaming and throwing things...at 14 they're much stronger and smarter. It's not pretty when a teenager demands their own way and expects to get it. Teaching a child how to deal with being told no at a young age will only help them when they're older and face disappointments along life's road.
Just because it's normal for a child to throw a temper fit at times, doesn't mean a parent shouldn't teach their child self-control and other ways to express themselves. Kids don't outgrow fits and selfish behavior without being taught skills from their parents. Giving into every whim only sets a child up for difficulties later in life, when they find out that's not how the world works. Don't like that you have to work this weekend? Throw a fit and your boss will apologize and make someone else do it. Don't like the cost of gas? Throw yourself on the ground and scream, the attendant will let you drive away without paying. Went over your minutes on your phone this month? Call the phone company and tell them how much you hate them, they'll let it slide. Yeah, doesn't work that way.
I love Super Nanny. She doesn't take crap from any squirt. A common phrase in our house is, "Super Nanny would..."
I wasn't given well-behaved children. I was given strong-willed, spit fires who use their intelligence against me. I was given children who like to test me and make me work hard every day to show them I won't back down. I put a lot of time and work into my kids. They're not perfect, but they sure do know how to act in public and towards adults. They're not scared of me, they respect me and my rules, and they know why the rules are in place because I explain it to them. They respect boundaries. It's daily work and it's tiring but it's worth it because I enjoy my children. I think that means I'll enjoy them as adults.
All parents have struggles. Children don't come with manuals. Some children are harder to discipline than others, but it's never impossible. In our house, we have cognitive issues, ADHD, OCD, and SID. It just means we tailor the discipline to their needs. I'm not going to let anything stand in the way of raising healthy, successful adults.