admin on January 3rd, 2009

I have been reading the thread about chores, and this is mostly how
I do things too. (My oldest is four.) But I have one concern that
I’m hoping you guys can clarify for me:
If you regularly clean up their room and toys, etc, as a “gift” to
them, don’t they grow up thinking that picking up is [...]

Continue reading about Cleaning their room and chores

admin on January 3rd, 2009

I am seeing the theme of clean the room as a gift to the child. As a young
person, I made a decision to help my children by not doing too much for them.
My mother (God rest her soul) was a great mother. She washed our clothes,
folded, them, ironed them, she always did so much for [...]

Continue reading about How do they learn responsibility

admin on September 9th, 2008

I just lost the quote I was going to use…darnit! But this idea of feeling like the “slave” is something I understand. It’s still our job as the parent, to change how we see our own role in family life, and especially in clean up. Those of you that chose the farm life, all the [...]

Continue reading about “Slave” labor

admin on September 9th, 2008

For those of you who DO have some kind of bedtime guideline for younger kids, how do (or did) you go about it? I say “somewhat” imposed because we don’t have a specific “time”…I just feel the need to start the bedtime ball rolling at a reasonable hour…Sometimes we have things go pretty smoothly, and [...]

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admin on August 9th, 2008

I have a housecleaner that comes once a month for 5-6 hours that I pay $75 to clean our house. I have no shame or embarrasment being a SAHM and using this service that makes all of us happier. Heck, as you know, many SAHMs send their kids to daycare and preschool. [...]

Continue reading about Hiring help for housecleaning

admin on August 9th, 2008

I need some advice on how to handle it when my husband tells them that they HAVE to help with the house. When he tells them that we do their laundry and their dishes, and they NEED to be responsible for the messes they make because they live here too. It feels totally guilt [...]

Continue reading about Housework Expectations

admin on July 22nd, 2008

“What a lot of us here have found, is you don’t need either the passive/do nothing or the disciplinarian approach. There is a middle ground. One where children ARE treated with equal respect as adults, but where the parent also cares about themselves and is capable of setting healthy boundaries.”
~Great! How do I do [...]

Continue reading about The Middle Ground in Parenting

admin on July 22nd, 2008

” I also don’t want to yell, scream, scare or just let them have his way because it’s easiest…”
Why not? Letting a child choose when they need sleep is trusting they will learn to listen to their bodies. Not that a tired child doesn’t need some back rubbing, stories, cuddling…whatever calms them, but forcing [...]

Continue reading about Choosing the “easiest” parenting way…

admin on June 26th, 2008

…many times the way he does things are a bit out of the ordinary and I struggle with letting him be who his is and showing him some basic aspects of social appropriateness. Is there a balance here? Am I using the wrong language when I say limits?…do some kids need a little extra guidance [...]

Continue reading about Real limits vs. arbitrary limits

admin on June 25th, 2008

Why do kids NEED to get dressed or eat breakfast before playing or doing something? My youngest dd, 5, right now, is eating breakfast in her pj’s while watching tv. We slept in because we stayed up really late. My oldest dd, 13, is still sleeping probably in the clothes that she wore yesterday. She [...]

Continue reading about Tidbits