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~
NOT the way I would recommend.
Karen
"A pocketknife is like a melody;sharp in some places,
Karen
"A pocketknife is like a melody;sharp in some places,
Of course what do you expect from the debater who gave us "our school's homework is neccessary and wise. But I don't agree with it and I will take my child out and give her less homework" thread.
I am assuming you are wearing that bike helmet cyduck's mom gave you. LOL
It's not MY bad interpretation when the rules of English grammar dictate a specific meaning that YOU never intended; that would be your misuse of English.
Karen
"A pocketknife is like a melody;sharp in some places,
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Karen
"A pocketknife is like a melody;sharp in some places,
dj
Dj
"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~
I'll admit I hate it when dh falls asleep in bed with the TV on after I've already fallen asleep. . .but I just ask him to leave the remote where I can find it.
I'll also say that I do watch the amount of time that my children are sedentary. . .I do encourage them to go outside and enjoy unstructured, active play and they are all enrolled in some form of structured, active play. . .but I just won't go so far as to insinuate that TV is inherently evil or unwholesome. . .or that it's viewing must be STRICTLY limited by a specific time limit.
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