"Honey, don't interrupt me! ... What did you want?"

I was recently talking to a friend of mine that has a toddler. This little guy, kept interrupting to get his mommy's attention!

Well, he got it!

"Don't interrupt me while, I'm talking, Honey! ... Now, what do you want, Dear?"

~~ interruption successful! ~~

We begin conversation again, for another interruption.

"Honey, Mommy said, not to interrupt. What do you want?"

~~ again, interruption successful!~~

See my point here?

IF you want your child to continue interrupting, this is the pattern you want to follow.

IF you want your child to learn to respect their elders, and that they have a place in your life. Then you're going to have to try something new.

You're going to need to discipline yourself, before you can teach your child proper self discipline.

If you're talking to an adult friend, and your child interrupts you (and they will!), Remind them not to interrupt you, but then instead of stopping to listen to them, continue your adult conversation -for just a sentence or two- and then hear your child.

You're still giving your child attention. You're not a bad parent-- you're teaching them to wait!

Our children need patience in life... they will learn it from us. They also need to know that the world does not revolve around them. They become a part of our world, our lives. Aren't we happiest when we are caring for someone we love, or making them happy? Our children are happiest when they realize that the world does not revolve around them. And that their lives become a part of our lives!

How many couples do you know live their lives for their children? My life, when I married my husband, became a part of his. We are 'one flesh'. We live to be happy together, and to have a happy relationship. When we started having children, our kids became a part of our life that we started together when we got married.

Someday, our children will all be grown. If our lives have only revolved around them, we will have a difficult time being alone together. Eventually we'll realize that while we were raising our children, we drifted apart. I do not want to be a stranger to my husband when my kids are gone. I want to continue our lives together, looking forward to the future and all that it holds (hopefully grandkids!)

Parentage Heritage

So, I’m teaching my son how to drive. And if that isn’t a moment of reckoning, I don’t know what is. He has these things that he does, that absolutely make me crazy! I think to myself … “Why would he do that? Where would get the idea that this is o.k.?” and then I must answer “I do that! Oh, my goodness! He picked that up from watching me!” And so, now, as I’m teaching him to drive, I have to explain to him that my behavior is wrong, and why. So, hopefully, I’m becoming a humbler, kinder driver. Because I know I’m a humbler, kinder mother!

Our children are our lasting legacy, our heritage. This is very true. But in the same sense what they become will speak volumes as to what kind of people we are. Almost everything that I know about being a mother, I learned from my mother. Many of my characteristics and mannerisms I have, I got from my dad. I have no problem accepting these facts. But why would I be surprised that the same will be true for my kids? They will pick up from my actions far more than they will learn from my instruction.

I have become increasingly alarmed at the rate that our society is declining in social graces (manners). I could write all day as to who is at fault (media, music, Hollywood, peers, etc.). But when it all boils down, it is the responsibility of the family, mainly the parents, to insure that our children know how to act and react in various situations. If they do not behave properly, then we must maturely claim the responsibility for not training them.

But I’m not here to point fingers, I’m here to help! And it will be my goal to encourage preventative measures as well as to help set us back on the right path to raising families that are a good example of maturity, patriotism, and respect. I encourage your comments and questions. If you have a question or topic that you would like to further discuss, please feel free to mention, them, and I’ll try to help wherever I can.