Parenting Blog

"I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, 'Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!” --Anonymous

Children take rules very seriously, but they don’t really know what’s normal behavior.  They learn that through experience, and their early experiences with us have the most impact.

If kids grow up in a house with lots of yelling, that becomes normal to them and they will (unconsciously) create that kind of household as adults.  If they grow up in a house where dinner can be scrambled eggs and carrots out of the bag, but everyone talks, laughs and enjoys each other, kids will prioritize connection over appearances.  And if kids grow up wearing seat belts, not using seatbelts will seem shocking to them.

The good news is that we’re the grownups now, so we get to make our own house rules.  Even better, we can choose to break the rules we learned as kids that no longer work for us.

What are the three most important rules (explicit or not) in your family?

What lessons do your kids learn from these rules about what’s important in life?

May your weekend be filled with miracles, large and small.  And don’t forget to wear your seatbelt.