My bishop is awesome: assigned seating

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Venkman

I know a family with the let kids act like kids policy. The kids are out of freaking control.

One evening I was talking to this guy in his driveway. His three year old kid had a wiffle ball bat and hit me with it on the leg. The dad didn't say a thing. Second time, nothing. Finally, on the third time, I told the kid, "will you stop that"? Again, the dad didn't say a word. Then the kid tried to hit me again. I grabbed the bat mid swing, yanked it away and chucked it across the yard. Again, nothing from the dad. I was floored.

An extreme example, and I'm not saying Santos would do this, or his kids would even act this way, but there's limits to the hands-off method, IMO.

How was the kid's swing? Did he have good balance? How was his hand speed? Did he start with his lower body and have everything follow or did he just swing his arms?

[creekster]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Interesting. Can you give us some examples of this "almost no discipline" strategy? I mean, how far do you carry this?

For example, is potty training in the manual you follow? Talk about your sadisitc pleasures at church .. .

[JohnnyLingo]

Originally Posted by jay santos

I don't make an effort to "control" my kids. I let kids be kids. Sometimes I even take a sadistic pleasure in watching old people freak out when my toddler tosses his cheerios at them. They grow out of it over time.

My parenting opinion: the more you "control" them at a young age the more problems you create for them at a later age.

I'd be interested in behavior reports every once in a while over the next few years. If your method works I might try it when I start having kids.

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

How was the kid's swing? Did he have good balance? How was his hand speed? Did he start with his lower body and have everything follow or did he just swing his arms?

LOL, actually it wasn't too bad for a three year old.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Venkman

I know a family with the let kids act like kids policy. The kids are out of freaking control.

One evening I was talking to this guy in his driveway. His three year old kid had a wiffle ball bat and hit me with it on the leg. The dad didn't say a thing. Second time, nothing. Finally, on the third time, I told the kid, "will you stop that"? Again, the dad didn't say a word. Then the kid tried to hit me again. I grabbed the bat mid swing, yanked it away and chucked it across the yard. Again, nothing from the dad. I was floored.

We know some folks like this. In one case, the daughter would constantly come up and grab the butts of grown men. She thought it was funny. I would grab her hands and tell her to knock it off, but she would giggle and keep on doing it. The parents would just sit there and watch. Drove me crazy. And the parents wonder why people don't invite them to family activities more. Sheesh.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Venkman

LOL, actually it wasn't too bad for a three year old.

I suppose I should have asked if you were ok, eh? There are fewer kids interested in baseball these days, so anytime I hear about one swinging a bat, I can't help myself.

If it happens again, punch the father in the face. Let him know that for each time his kid hits you, you'll return the favor.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by jay santos

But she believes in almost no discipline under the age of 2 or 3. And then slowly adding on discipline starting about then, but much less than typical. That the concepts of being loved unconditionally are much more important than teaching discipline at that age.

Here is what puzzles me: How are discipline and unconditional love not compatible? I don't get it.

Originally Posted by jay santos

And my theory is more that they come to you from heaven with their personalities and they're going to be who they are going to be no matter what you do to them.

Come on. You don't think parenting counts for anything?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Here is what puzzles me: How are discipline and unconditional love not compatible? I don't get it.



Come on. You don't think parenting counts for anything?

Parenting means providing boundaries, improving performance, and helping a child to develop reasonable expectations through education and experience. If you fail to teach children there are personal boundaries, you may expand their "imagination", but ultimately those children may fail to respect others and believe they are the center of the world, not a part of it.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Parenting means providing boundaries, improving performance, and helping a child to develop reasonable expectations through education and experience. If you fail to teach children there are personal boundaries, you may expand their "imagination", but ultimately those children may fail to respect others and believe they are the center of the world, not a part of it.

Paris Hilton is a great example of this.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Last Sunday my Bishop stood up at the end of the meeting and told everyone to arrive on time.

He also said "if you don't have kids, we want you to be in the front."

Right now all the old retired folks sit in the back.

He also said, "if you have young children, you are to sit in the back."

This applies to me since we usually sit in the front.

What was really funny was that there is a new couple in the ward, that was sitting on the front row. They have two boy toddlers that were just going nuts. Running over to the side in the curtain. One almost pulled down the sacrament cloth. Parents took them out about six different times.

They must be feeling really welcome about right now.

So I'll be sitting in the back now.

Wow -- we missed a great Sunday. We're chronically late and the only place there is to sit is right up front. I hate doing the walk of shame up to the front -- dragging our rowdy 5 year-old along the way -- and then dragging him out to the foyer when he tries to play spiderman on the front row. We'll see you in the back next week