Limits

A kid's job is to push limits (as far as they can)...they need to find out where the limits are so they know how to act.

A parent's job is to set limits--and then keep them. Once the limits are set, a parent then needs to be consistent. If it's not okay to dump out mom's purse today, then it shouldn't be okay to dump out mom's purse tomorrow. Otherwise, if the kid gets in trouble, all the kid will know is that he/she got in trouble.

If you think about it, we are the same way--if we are expected to do something, we want to know the limits that we have to work in...how many times did you hate it in school when a teacher said "write a paper." With no other guidance this becomes a hard task...but when given further instructions, such as "within 2-3 pages," "due at such and such a date," and within certain topics.

*What limits have your kids pushed?
**What limits have you set that you find difficult to be consistent about?