I’m on a mission to give my kids:
- Good health.
- Every opportunity I didn’t have.
- Expose them to everything, but let them embrace only what they are passionate about, not what I’m passionate about.
Second to wanting the best for my kids, my biggest goal is for them to be grateful and not take those opportunities and our fortunate life for granted. I rarely buy them toys or things, unless they’re educational or experience-based. Instead, I teach them to save and buy their own stuff. I’ve made an art out of telling them “no.”
After my oldest didn’t get to movin’ when his mom told him to get ready for school three times, I told her to just take his bro and sis and he could walk. After a few minutes he asked where everyone was, “are they leaving?!”
I told him they already left and asked if “just one more show” was worth now having to walk to school.
“No”
I strive to be my kids’ “friend” every day and was perfectly capable of driving him the few blocks to school. But I’m also raising future contributing members of society and have no problem being a parent before a friend, when needed.
Lesson learned.
