Parenting Pet Peeves - My Own Little Rant

If you are reading this, then I’m probably not talking about you.

I don’t get it. I really don’t get it.
I just read a blog about a woman who took her 5 year old twins to GOOD GRAVY (not the real name of the store).

She complained that there were displays of soccer balls for sale everywhere. She told her boys not to touch them….don’t touch the display by the cargo shorts. Don’t touch the display by the panties. Don't touch the display by the sweaters. Don’t touch!

One of the five year olds just could NOT stand the temptation. While the mom was checking out, a ball arced over her head, above 5 registers and toward the exit.

The store manager glared and proclaimed: “Those balls are not for kicking.”

While seeing the manager’s point, she sided with her child and said, “Well then, what are they there for?”

I’ll answer. TO BUY! They are for someone to buy.

When I was little, there were a few phrases that meant something.
No!
Don’t touch!
Stay right by me!
They meant exactly what they say. A bunch of ONE syllable words linked together with an understood threat that death was nigh.

Although both complex and mysterious, I taught my own three children these lines. And I meant it. Yeah, sometimes they had to be repeated. And they were slightly more effective is they were HISSED into the ear of a three year old while gripping the underside of their upper arm with a witch claw.

I know this sounds mean and extreme to expect a small child to listen and obey. And I know that I am making a big deal out of touching soccer balls.
But THIS IS CHILD’S PLAY. THIS IS MERELY PRACTICE………PRACTICE FOR THE REAL THING!

Touching the soccer ball or kicking it across the store for that matter is NOT that big of a deal. It won’t hurt anyone (probably).

But you are going to get down the road and you are going to say “No!”, “Don’t Touch” and “Stay right by me!” and it WILL matter.

Obedience is a learned behavior. Right now, you, as a parent are teaching and they are learning a way more important underlying lesson for later:
1. I have been called to be your parent
2. Part of my job is to protect, teach, and prepare you for the future…whether it’s to protect you from yourself, strangers, death or help shape you into a productive, likeable teenager who can make good choices on his own.
3. I love you and have your best interest at heart.
4. Sometimes I will ask you to DO or NOT DO things that might not make sense to you, but you will need to trust me.
5. Even if you do not agree with me, you should respect me.
6. When you make a choice to OBEY or DISOBEY, there will be consequences and you don’t get to CHOOSE those.

If your children have not learned that you mean business when they are 2 or 4, what makes you think they will believe you mean business when they are 12 or 14 and the stakes are higher?

And sometimes, when you say, “No!” or “Don’t Touch” it’s not just “No!” or “Don’t Touch!” There’s more to it.

When they are 2, you say “Don’t touch the electrical outlet.” When they are 5, you say “Don’t touch stuff that isn’t yours.” When they are 10, you say “Don’t touch the beer.” When they are 14, you say “Don’t touch the girls……..”
The stakes are higher: the consequences bigger than a ticked off store manager. It’s GAME TIME!