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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First of all, the post I responded to was written 22 hours before the post you're referring to. . .
Second of all, just because someone doesn't set an artifical 'limit' level to something doesn't mean they engage in unlimited participation.
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
And I dont even know what you are talking about that she didnt invent the happy meal?? My point WAS that even if something is available and advertised as the greatest thing ever, doesnt mean its appropriate or healthy-LIKE THE BABY EINSTEIN VIDEOS. Get it? Just because they are out there doesnt make it a great choice to run out and buy one.
What do we do in the hours after dinner? Well for one, there arent that many. We eat at 5 or 6 and everyone is usually in bed by 9-930. We read, listen to music, go for walks, bike ride, sit on the deck and talk, play ball in the driveway, talk on the phone to friends and family, have family over to the house, play a board game, go up to the park, go to the lake and feed the ducks, in the winter we sometimes go sledding or up to the school to go ice skating, go to the high school and go to open swim at the pool-I can think of a zillion activities besides tv...I'm certainly not saying we *never* watch tv. But we sure as heck dont make a HABIT of watching 3hrs a night 7 days a week. I can think of better ways to occupy my time, and my kids time.
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~
eileen
Okay, now I have heard everything
dj
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
I cannot even believe anyone could say that its OKAY to eat like this. It is just amazing to me. Not necessarily surprising, like I said, the state our country is in shows that a large portion of the population must feel this way.
dj
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
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