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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Cathleena
OMG...if that were REALLY the case, we would be in with the doctor EVERY week for at LEAST an hour when every bit of new "research" that is supposedly "harmful" to us comes out.
Okmrsmommy-36, CPmom to DD-16 and DS-14
It's admirable to be honest with oneself and one's family about bad habits.
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My husband also has two college degrees from a major university.
My life's philosophy...live life, enjoy life, and have fun. Don't let others tell you what you should or shouln't be doing or how you should or shouldn't raise your children, live your life, think.
Cathleena
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"My life's philosophy...live life, enjoy life, and have fun."
That's an interesting philosophy.
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Don't expect all of us to follow suit.
Cathleena
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