I've been tagged for a Personal Policy meme by Katherine at Raising Five.This is about your personal policies, not moral rules like Do not kill. Things like not stepping on sidewalk cracks. I'm not sure how easy this will be, because even though I'm sure I have tons of weird things going on, I'm not sure I'm sane enough to know what is weird, lol. I used to have lots of "rules" but now that I have 7 kids, I just want to get through the day with everyone alive.
1. Unlike Katherine, I do not brush my teeth before I have my coffee in the morning. Because it tastes GROSS with mint flavoring! IF I have a gross taste in my mouth in the morning, I would brush with just water on my brush, but NEVER toothpaste before my coffee or my Diet Coke.
2. I used to be a BIG stickler about the toilette paper roll being right side up. Now I'm just glad if someone actually replaces the empty roll! (believe me, we can empty a roll before it even gets put on the holder)
3. We do have a weird little policy, whoever eats the banana out of the bunch that has the sticker on it has to wear the sticker on their nose until they are done.
4. No work, no eat. Apparently the kids' friends think its weird that they have to ask us before they just grab something and eat it out of the fridge/pantry. I got sick of my ingredients being gone when I went to cook a meal. I got to the point where I had to run to the store literally every single day for my meals, sometimes we went to the store several times in one day.
5. No matter what, don't say you won't do that, because God will put you to the test! This goes for lots and lots of judgement situations. (I can't believe she'd let her child wear that to church! You should SEE what some of my pre-teen boys have snuck out the door wearing!)
6. I have a certain place for all the dishes and I go spastic if they aren't put away right. Well, I used to go spastic. Then I realized that doing things "my way" was selfish, and as long as the plates were in the cupboard they belong in, what does it matter if the plates are on the left or right side? Does it really matter if they change sides every couple of days?
But really I think "You KNOW where to GET the stupid plate when you are HUNGRY, why can't you figure out where it goes when you put it away?!?"
7. Girls and guys better not call my kids of the opposite gender. I don't handle that well! I don't believe its a good idea to talk privately with someone of the opposite gender. Private moments fosters intimacy, especially to girls. And before I get flamed, every single time my son has broken this rule, he's found himself falling for a girl, or her falling for him, and him breaking parent's rules and sinning. Every. Single. Time. Even emails.
Basically, I just gave up. Except about asking before you eat something. And you BETTER not touch my chocolate stash!
Sorry this is a boring post.
And: Before I had kids I swore I'd NEVER....
1. Say "Because I said so"
2. Say "If all the other kids jumped off a bridge...."
3. Keep my kids from voicing their opinions (umm, now I call is back talk)
4. Restrict reading material, music, friends, tv shows, etc.
5. Let my child act like that!
6. Make them eat their veggies, clear their plates, etc.
7. "Encourage" my kids to do things, like get better grades, finish what they start, go to college. (another words, force them to live up to their potential instead of working on their social life)
Mostly I was a very young mom and was not looking to be a great mom as far as raising kids morally, I wanted freedom and expected to give it to them. I didn't expect God to get ahold of me and change me so much!
Let me know if you do this meme, especially if you do it better than I did, hehe. I'll put a link on here to your meme!
5 people think my kids are qtpies:
This is an interesting idea for a meme. I haven't done it myself, but I wanted to say that I agree with your "ask first" policy on food. I'm amazed at how many of my friends' kids simply go to the cupboard or fridge whenever they want to (and they'll sometimes do it at *my* house too!!). Two reasons I make my kids ask for snacks, etc: (1) I don't want them getting into the habit of eating when they are bored. If I know what they've been eating, it's easier for me to help them decide if they're truly hungry, or if they're just snacking to snack. Too much childhood obesity out there! And (2) we're on a tight food budget! My kids would eat and eat and eat if I didn't curb the quantity of their intake! I guess I also have a third reason, which is that they should show respect for my husband and I as providers. Makes me sound like the food police now, but it's a policy that works out ok for my family.
I SO IDENTIFIED with this meme! Thank you! I was just giving my 11-year-old a speech about the dishes to be put away: "Three tall glasses next to the lunch plates, three short glasses next to the bowls, tumblers here, etc." And I am always on their case about getting snacks without asking. If they could, they'd eat a week's worth of groceries in about four hours.
The banana sticker on the nose made me laugh. When my sister was little she used to put them on her forehead and then stick them onto the wall in her closet. She had quite a collection!!! Not sure what the attraction was, but she loved those banana stickers!!!
Jessica The Rock Chick
I love #3! Now every time we eat bananas I will think of your family... I wonder if I can get my family to wear the banana sticker on their noses.
Haha!
YES! We have the "ask first" policy, too. We also have certain foods that are for "lunches only" so don't be caught eating those after school or you will not have them for tomorrow's lunch!
I loved reading your list, because you are so REAL about it all. I can learn so much from you! I can so identify with wanting to give my kids freedom. I started out with that mindset and it has been hard to swing back to balance love and control....
And it was NOT boring at all! Thanks for playing along - I'm glad to get to know you more!
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