Do's and Don'ts

I'm a good mom. This is not a statement of conceit. Simply, it's my ability to be confident in how I parent, how I discipline and how I love my kids. It's important as parents to be confident in our most important job. If I was the CEO of a company and viewed myself as unskilled and lazy, surely my employees would see that and it would reflect how they treated me. Same goes for kids. If I'm sure of myself and my ability to do everything I can to ensure their growth and healthy development, then they will respect me more, cherish me more and obey me more. There will be no doubt in their minds, as they become adults, what kind of parents they had. They will hopefully say "I had great parents. They loved me, were fair to me and taught me right from wrong." This, at least, is my dream. My goal is to raise my kids similarly to how I was raised because I am an adult who can look at my childhood while making that same statement about my own parents.
Therefor, yes, I find large amounts of self work in the way I parent, and large doses of assurance in the way my children reflect my parenting.

With that, I give you my do's and don'ts.

I Don't:
-Cut off the crusts of a sandwich, the skins of an apple or any other fruit/veggie. My kids need to learn to eat food the way it was intended.
-Give into my children's whines. (Most of the time)
-Buy my kids "children's meals" on the rare occasion we eat fast food. They don't need that plastic crappy toy, nor do I need to spend the extra cash for it. If I don't get a toy, neither do you.
-Let them drink copious amounts of juice or milk. Water is always the healthier option, It's relatively free and  most kids in the world have never had a juice box nor have a clue what chocolate milk is.
-Candy/sugar is a treat. Not a part of their diet or daily routine. I have a high energy young son who does not need the extra sugar.ever.
-Let my kids stay up late. Night time is my time with my husband, time to relax, time to lay down and vege out. If my kids aren't quiet and/or asleep by 8, we have a serious problem on our hands.
-Buy tons of processed food. I want my kids to be healthy. I want them to see the value of making bread or yogurt or snacks from scratch and enjoying what their hands have made or their eyes have watched be made. Also, it's cheaper to make a batch of popcicles, or cookies or granola then it is to buy them.
-Give threats that I'm not going to follow through with. One of the best parenting tips that I ever received was don't threaten them with something you're not seriously going to follow through with. If I say "do that again and we're leaving" then I better be prepared to walk out the door in the case they choose to  make a bad decision.
-Baby my kids. Yes, they're young and sweet with delicate hearts and minds and I wish I could stop time and keep them that way forever. But if they want to be treated like a big kid, they better quickly learn how to act like one.

I Do:
-Love my kids to the moon and back. They are my everything, my essence and my joy. Nothing can nor ever will replace or compare to that.
-Relax if one my "don'ts" slips through the cracks. Tomorrow is another day, a clean slate and a fresh start.
-Spank. Give time outs. Take things away when they can't share and ground them from social time with friends if they're out of line. Strong discipline in the most important lesson I can give them.
-Hug, Snuggle, Kiss, Wrestle, Giggle, and Laugh. This is life and we must remind each other to smile and enjoy it.
-Cry. I have off days. I have days where I feel like a failure. It's ok to cry.
-Rejoice in my partner in parenting. My husband helps me to be the parent I am. He supports me, my decisions and my methods. He's the perfect man and father for this family.
-Allow my kids to be kids. They are encouraged and often forced to play outside (even when it's cold out) as much as physically possible, get dirty, play with worms and ride their bikes. I grew up with limited TV watching as a kid and think I am a better person b/c of it. I learned how to use my imagination, create adventures in my mind and fall in love with the outdoors.
-Try to instill good manners. "Please", "Thank you", "Yes and No, Ma'am/ Sir", calling someone Mr. or Mrs, etc. There are only so many years where I am their main influence. I better get their manners on the right path now while I can.
-Realize that what works for me doesn't work for everyone.
I'm in no way an expert. I fail constantly and forget my own rules. I make mistakes and love when I learn new ideas from other parents about what works for them. I'll never tell you what you're doing as a parent is wrong, but if you ask, I'll simply tell you what works in our home. Parenting is hard, and it's a process. I'm learning as I go just like everyone else. And I know that just as my kids are growing and discovering, so too am I.