Rule Breakers



Parenting isn’t about being your child’s friend. It's giving them the tools they’ll need to survive in the world they will face.
Our grandson has a 2-hour video game limit on weekends—and no games during the week. We listened as he explained the specific guidelines. Yes, we'd been told AND we knew better. But since we were taking care of him for the day we broke the rule anyway. Besides, Papa was having just as much fun playing video games as our grandson.

Then came the dessert rule. Only one popsicle-per-week. Broke that rule too. Then the bedtime rule was broken. We were not obedient grandparents. Rule breakers make it harder for those who obey—and for parents trying to set good boundaries.

I should respect their rules. They're not easy to make nor easy to enforce and maintain. It comes with grief too. Especially after one of our visits. Which is why I'm probably feeling guilty. Parenting is tough in this world of gadgets, gore-filled games, and the gastronomical grief of junk food.

In a nation with plenty of failing students, youth obesity, and disrespect for authority, my grandson is blessed with parents who are choosing to instill good boundaries. 

 It's not just about “no” it's about saying “yes” to playing outside, reading books, and exploring. He's learning that his parents are the boss and right now his job is to do as they say.

Some families have fewer rules and life seems more fun until it's time to demonstrate character and responsibility—but they didn't develop those critical qualities. Maybe that's why our nation has some young adults without age-appropriate boundaries who want to keep playing games, eat whatever they want, and have someone else pay for it all.

Fortunately, my grandson has smart parents. Next time I visit, I'm playing by the rules. 

Popular posts from this blog

Counting the Cost

Image
Something big is missing in this photo. Let me explain. Here in my hometown, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe prepared a parcel of land for a new hotel. Plenty of planning and architectural designs were evaluated. A gemstone of a hotel would be built across from the waterfront—a beautiful, restful place welcoming travelers. A true four-star facility.   They cleared the aging brick structures that had been fading away between Front Street and Railroad Avenue. Then the pandemic hit, shortages of labor and supplies, add in the costly inflation that followed. Everything stopped.   But this is what I admire about the Elwha Tribe: they have counted the cost. They didn’t want to move forward and take on tremendous debt. They would rather move slowly and be financially ready, rather than begin building and then letting it sit unfinished.   Counting the cost is something I should have done earlier in life when I didn’t know what high interest rates would do to our farming cost...
Read more

Summertime Music

Image
During the summer months, in an outside seating area, a delightfully painted piano sits with a sign that says, “Play me”.   It was just before 8 pm as I walked past the piano. My bus would be arriving soon, and I still have another ten minutes to walk before reaching my bus stop. But no one is around. It’s a beautiful warm evening. I pulled out the piano bench and sat down. The sun was behind me, and the piano keys reflected its glow. I had no music in front of me, only the songs within me. Notes drifted into the air.  In those brief moments, the magic of music and summer came together. Isn’t that how it is? Summertime music has a way of lingering in our minds and lasting a lifetime. As I stood and grabbed my things, I heard distant clapping—I guess I wasn’t alone, after all.
Read more

Planting Good Seeds

Image
Harvest will always depend on what we plant and how well we care for our crop.    Looking over my seed packets, I notice they’re different than the ones I planted before. One package is called Word seeds. The directions say that each of my words is a seed, so it cautions me to think before I speak. Harsh words don’t produce sweet, nourishing fruit. These seeds will require thoughtful care in the garden. I see some Volunteer seeds. Those extra hours I tend to fritter away are going to be planted in a useful project.   It looks like time isn’t wasted in this garden plot. Next are some Love seeds—the directions are interesting: get up each day and love others. No specifics are given—just do something for someone every day. The seed package shows pictures of smiling faces. I smile back. As I’m ready to head to the garden with my seeds, a package falls to the ground. I open it. Inside are the tiniest seeds I’ve ever seen—but the directions s...
Read more