Not Like My Parents

Sometimes I think of things that parents do and think to myself "I don't want to be like that when I'm a parent."

Here are some that I thought of recently.

First one is the "my seat" rule.
Growing up my step dad always claimed a piece of the furniture as "his" sometimes it was a recliner, other times it was a specific spot on the couch that he thought was most comfortable. If anyone sat in this seat he would say that's my spot you have to move. I never understood this. I thought it was selfish to not share. It's odd to me that because something is your favorite no one else can choose it. It's not as if I think a person must share everything that belongs to them. But what makes the living room furniture belong to any one person? It seemed like it should be the living-room's furniture for anyone in the living-room to use. I would think it was different if the furniture was a gift to a specific person. But generally person belongings should be kept in a person's room. I found it to be disrespectful as if my step-dad was saying "I'm more important than you, so what I want matters more than what you want."

Another thing that I don't want to teach my children is: speeding and lawlessness.
I habitually speed now, but it is a habit that I want to break. I don't want to teach my kids that it is okay to break the law. I want to lead by example and teach my kids to do what's right.

Something else that bothers me that parents do is use baby-talk to their kids.
At no age do I think it's okay to talk to children in made-up words that a baby would say. How are they supposed to learn what the truth is if we are constantly speaking to them without using the real words.

Truth is very important to me. I don't think that it's funny or good to trick kids and tell them lies.
Anything that you know is untrue should not be told to a kid.

Lies I've heard people tell kids:
If you swallow your gum it will take 7 years to digest.
If you swallow a watermelon seed it will grow a watermelon in your stomach
Babies come from storks.
Babies come from belly buttons
Chocolate milk comes from brown cows
Toothfairy
Santa Claus
Easter- Bunny

If a child asks me a question, I'm going to tell them the truth. Even if it's difficult to explain. Kids go to adults for information and trust us, we should not be making up stupid stuff. To me this is making a fool out of them for our own enjoyment.