When did structure become a bad thing?
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| Fri, 07-30-2004 - 8:19am |
We used to live next door to a "no structure" family. The kids ran wild in the neighborhood, the mom never planned dinner so lord only knows if and when the kids ate. Sorry, I don't think that's a good way to live. My kids know we eat dinner at 6:30, so they have to be home.
I can see taht you wouldn't demand that an infant go to bed and wake up at precisely the same time, but is there ever a time to impose structure on a child? So lets say you are the freewheeling type and have always doen things whenever. What happens when you send your child to school where the bell rings at the same time every day?
As far as activities, I realize all kids are different, but when my kids were little, if we just did whatever, whenever, my kids woudl end up grumpy and overtired. My experience is that if say, we were at the beach and I say, oh heck, let's just stay later, the kids woudl be happy at first, but by the days end I would end up with whiny, overtired kids.
Maybe I'm just misinterpreting what I am reading, but I personally think structure is a good thing. When children are small, the structure includes naptimes, mealtimes, etc. As they get older it evolves into boundaries like "be home at 6 for dinner" or "you can't go into soemones house without telling me first". I couldn't imagine living without structure or boundaries for my kids.
Susan

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dj
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
dj
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
Omg, I obviously need more sleep
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
If the ped. is not doing an exam anyway, and she and I are giving the same info, I just don't see where I'm being naive. What will the ped. say about sex to a 12-yr-old that I'm not saying?
Is the only difference that my girls may feel more comfortable telling a ped. that they've seen evidence of an STD? Because if you look at Almostfree's post here (and I think she's the only mom with experience on this subject who's posted about it here), your reasoning doesn't necessarily indicate that. If my girls continue with this same wonderful ped. we have - as has AMF3's DD - the ick factor may well set in and my girls may be no more inclined to open up to a ped than to me, accordg to ALMF3's DD.
Edited: The ick factor was certainly there for me with my pediatricians and I never felt too comfortable with them anyway. But when I went to college, probably a combination of being around 17 and the fun of the dorm-by-dorm discussions held by the college drs who oversaw the races to put a condom on a banana totally blew away my ick factor. I practically signed up the next day to discuss body image and proper nutrition with one of those co-ed loving docs.
What then? It's nice to say I'm being naive, but what's the solution then?
Edited 8/20/2004 3:53 pm ET ET by luvthebabes
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