Today I took my kids to our county fair. I was sick, with a cold, super congested and plugged up. I was NOT wanting to have to lug all 3 kids to go walk around outside get sunburned, do constant head counts of my kids, spend mucho money, run into people I don’t want to talk too, and deal with meltdowns over rides and chache for sale. BUT, I did. I ALWAYS make it a point to get those little mini cinnamon sugar donuts that the old ladies make in the “expo building.” We walked up into the line, and then I hear the whining “MOM I WANT MY OWN BAG” “I DONT WANT TO SHARE, I WANT MY OWN …WAHHHHH” I literally stopped my child mid whine, and said to her… “Listen that is NOT how you ask me for something you want, I DONT respond to whining” “You either share with your siblings or you get nothing.” PERIOD. I didnt say it under my breathe, and the lady in front of me turned around and said to me “Good for you!” “Good for you for raising respectful kids.” When she said that it felt good knowing someone agreed with how I dealt with that situation, because you know what? There are parents who would have allowed their child to act like that, in public and still gotten what the wanted. NO THANKS!

Which leads me to my next rant. I in fact have absolutely NO idea what Im doing as a parent half the time. I have more days that I feel like I’m failing my kids then I’m winning as a mom. This shit  is no joke. If theres ONE thing I am constantly trying to implement in my parenting its ‘common sense.’ With common sense in my opinion comes respect. Over my dead body would I let my of age child blatiantly ignore a person that is greeting them. Yeah, that happened to me today too. I said “Hi” to a child I am no stranger too, he looked at me said nothing all while right along side his mom that completely enabled that behavior. It bothered me. It bothered me to literally watch a parent allow their child to be disrespectful to an adult. I am constantly reiterating to my kids, “You need to say Hello” “You need to go say thank to so and so” “You need to go give so and so a hug and say goodbye” ITS JUST COMMON SENSE!

Im sure I will be criticized for this post, and if I am I’m okay with that. Judge me up and down, but my kids will not be that kid who doesn’t say Hello to you when you wave to them. My kids will not be those kids that do not say thank you to you. My son will NOT leave the toilet seat up. If theres one thing I got figured out its how to raise my kids to have common sense and respect.

Don’t get me wrong either, I know there’s room for error. I know you could as a parent do your absolute best job at raising your kids, and your kid go SOUTH. You have to start somewhere though.