Family Style

Hello All!

So, by family style I don't mean buffet!

Last night we were at a family birthday dinner for our oldest daughter, Anne.  She had invited a good friend of hers along.  We were enjoying dinner, and celebrating.  We laughed a lot and told stories about our family and my daughter's husband's family and my daughter in law Megan's family and then... we got to the part of the evening where it was coffee time.

My husband likes his coffee super sweet...and we keep trying to have him give up Sweet and Low, (not with much success) so Anne's mother in law pulled out a container of small pills that are a sweetener she carries from Europe.  She passed the container over to Bill ( my husband) and this is where it got interesting.  Anne commented that it looked like we were passing small drugs out... and then she proceeded to share with her friend, Katlyn, ( sorry Caitlin?) the story of her brother's run in with me, his mother about an hysterical misunderstanding that happened in his senior year of high school. Surmise it to say that I accused him of all sorts of things due to circumstantial evidence, and really put his feet to the fire...not literally of course, I do pride myself on being a good Mom!  The story involved police and hospitals and lots and lots of me yelling at our son, Bill.

Katlyn, at this point, was in hysterics.  She said that at her house, if this would have happened, her Mom or Dad or someone would have thrown all the contraband out, and that would have been it.  They never would have taken it to the level that I chose to...AND there we go!  Family Styles!

I like to pride myself on that fact that my husband and I have succeeded at raising 3 competent, smart, caring and quality individuals.  Yes, of course that is my opinion, but here, it is the only one that counts!  (I have though, received independent collaboration) Here is the point:  I truly believe that kids need all they can get from us in terms of guidance and clear vision and accountability. I guess some kids will turn out fine without that, and maybe they are genetically wired to be successful no matter what, but I think (yes I used the crazy word "but") without parents who hold their kids accountable and set limits and boundaries and actually discipline them, society would be complete anarchy!

So, today if your kid does something bad, or you are not sure if he has done something bad, or you are thinking her may have done something bad....BUST HIM!   Kids need us to show them the way to be.  The way to be responsible and accountable.  They have plenty of friends, and only 1 set of parents.

Be the bad guy when you should!!

You'll have great stories to share later!

Until next time,

Pam