Buckle your seat belts, friends. This is going to be a super random post in which I a) continue confessing my cookie problem b) tell you about some more free stuff I got and c) get up on ye old soap box and harp for a minute.
Giddy-up.
First, hopping back on the wagon? Did not happen. In fact, I basically walked over to the wagon and kicked its tires. Suffice to sayI have some serious work to do once I finally decide to get going again. Notice I said "when". It is not today. Obviously.
Second, I feel like I have a duty to report to you any time I get something for free at my local Kroger (or anywhere for that matter). My first free item was a package of Hormel natural lunch meat. I feel like it's important to tell you it's all natural because of what I'm getting ready to tell you next. The second item I got for free was a bag of Cheetos. Clearly, not all natural. I don't really buy Cheetos, but as I've mentioned before, if they're giving them away? For free? Who am I to turn that down?
Finally, I've got a BEE in my bonnet. My friend and neighbor already heard me rant about this. You would think that talking about it out loud would get it out of my system. It didn't. It just kind of riled it up even more. Now you probably think it's something really important. It's not.
I read this article on-line last week (I have no idea where-I landed on it after following some worm hole around the web. I apologize for the lack of referencing) about how we are too hard on our kids. The basic gist of the article suggested that "we" aren't allowing our children to be people because we don't let them have bad days, be angry, and express emotion.
Listen. It is true of me that I would do well to LIGHTEN UP on lots of occasions. I know this about myself. I'm hard on me and I am sometimes hard on my kids. I know it, and I really do work to have some balance in my parenting.
However. I do believe it is my job to teach my children how to properly manage their feelings. And this does not mean that because they are children they have free reign to emote all over everyone in sight. Because they don't.
Here's the thing. Yes, kids should be allowed to be angry, grumpy, grouchy and whiny. But they should be taught the right way to express their emotions, and sometimes, the right place to express their emotions. You know what's worse than a whiny child? A whiny grown-up. And thanks to things like facebook and twitter, it has become painfully obvious that some folks were not taught how to express their emotions properly. Like, you know, not in a public forum.
As a person, I have the right to feel any way I want. But, I do not have the right to inflict those feelings on innocent by-standers. I've talked so many times here about the need for "your people". My people are usually the ones who have to deal with my emoting. Those same people will tell me when it's time to, you know, deal.
Kids do not need more time and space to be a wreck. They just don't. They need safe places to express themselves and good training on emotional boundaries.
If we teach our kids these simple things, facebook will thank us some day.
End rant.
You're welcome.
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