Character

Yesterday, Laurel started to tell me about her day at preschool. Before she would cry the whole way home (because she didn't want to leave preschool) and was angry at me for picking her up. So I couldn't get a word out of her.

And you know what she told me about preschool?

That Madelene got hurt and cried, which she did. And she got a bright green bandaid.

She learns a lot there, I can tell.

Actually I went into the classroom and the teacher dismissed them one by one, as the parent came in, so they were all listening to the teacher. Which is really great. So she's starting to listen to other adults and respect them. (Yes very good.)

We just got into this huge thing about discipline just a couple weeks ago, (not with Laurel, with another parent) and it had to do with respecting the adult in the classroom. She didn't believe in discipline at all, and we do. It was really crazy to believe, and we had to stand firm in our belief, that children need to have those rules and guidelines, and when they step over those rules, the guidelines need to be re-enforced. How is it that God expects any less of us? If we let our kids run around without having rules and such, how is that helping their character? I guess building character just isn't important anymore. Well guess what, it is to me, so I'm going to be the one parent that stands out and protests and the other parents are going to hate me and not let their kids come over to our house because they might actually learn some of that so called "character."

I love what I heard the other day about the best parental advice. It was actually Judge Judy who said it, (and I don't exactly believe most things she believes, but the quote is good) And it was (paraphrased, since I don't know the actual words she used): Until your kids are 18, you need to be a parent to them; you have all the time after they become an adult to be their "friend." Your kids will have plenty of friends up until that point.

I know a lot of parents who want to be friends to their kids, and really I wish they could see what it does to their character. I love my kids, but I love the fact that they respect me, and when they leave my house they respect whoever the adult is. I don't have to worry if my kids are being bad by disrespecting who is in charge or the other kids in the class.

And I'm going to be totally jealous of their friends until they turn 18.