I've come to believe that one of the responsibilities of parenting is to instill in my child a value system that will serve her will through life even when I'm no longer there to be her guide. I want her to develop the strength and motivation to make good choices on her own.
Once during violin group class, one boy was being uncooperative, and ignored his mother's warnings to stop messing with things in the room. When the teacher gently said his name, his mother seized on it and said "Ah, you'd better listen to Ms. S----" which didn't sit terribly well with me.
I won't discount that every child is different, and mine might just be easier to negotiate with. When necessary, I ask her to figure out the effects her behavior will have. She generally understands, albeit still forgetting quickly. But internal motivation, rather than external manipulation with punishment or rewards, will eventually serve her better.
Today I was thankful for:
1. My family enjoying the Christmas Panto
2. Yummy Vietnamese lunch at Abricott
3. Fun time at Steph's housewarming
4. Yummy dinner at Mongolian BBQ
5. Watching the Homeland finale with hubby
A hope:
To someday run a half marathon -- though I can't really fathom not going crazy while running for ~3 hours.
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