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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Our menu says chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, biscuit, fruit cup & cake.
It is served in our private school. Served in public schools I have taught.
Paige
Paige
I had to have one myself so I got up & made me one.
Paige
We don't eat mexican at all.
It is common fare on menus here.
Paige
Yeah, but do you make smart-ass, rude remarks about your husband's weight? Do you react with disgust? I bet not.
You disagree with him but do so respectfully.
There was no respect in many of the responses in the "What's for dinner?" thread.
Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable.
Karen
"A pocketknife is like a melody;sharp in some places,
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