How do you do it all this adultness is poo-poo

[Garth]

When I was sixteen, I started pretending I was an adult. And I've been pretending ever since. - Mark Twain

I think it was Twain. I haven't been able to find this quote on the web. If you can find it for me, I would appreciate it. My version is a paraphrase, I don't remember the original.

Then there is always the quote: "When I was ten, I thought my parents knew everything. When I became twenty, I was convinced they knew nothing. Then, at thirty, I realized I was right when I was ten." Mark Twain

Garth

 

[Moonbear]

I think giving your kids limited free will is a good thing. I've noticed people who are raised in a strict upbringing can't think for themselves.

There's a big difference between making every decision for your kids so they never learn to think for themselves, and setting rules where they learn there are bad consequences for bad decisions...just as there's a big difference between both of those and letting your kid do anything they want.

Some decisions can be up for discussion, and of course what those decisions are depends on the age of the kid. When I was a young child, I was not given a choice about eating vegetables with my dinner, for example, but I was given choices like, "Do you want broccoli or green beans?" When we went to restaurants, I was shown the kids' menu and could choose whatever I wanted off it, but if I acted up inappropriately, I would quickly find out that the consequence was being unceremoniously carried out under one arm.