torturing your children...

The one thing I never understood with my dad was bedtimes. My parents were divorced so when I spent the weekend with him, I was always forced to go to bed at 9 with no TV, no computer, and even no reading. I was also expected to get up at 6 am, 5 am on Sundays for church. I also did most of the chores except cooking or cleaning because my dad didn't trust me.

When I was younger and faked being sick my mom would pull the cord that connected the computer to the dial-up (this was the days of AOL) and keep it in her purse so I couldn't spend all day online. I used to hate her for it, but I know why she did it. I didn't have a cell phone and I didn't watch much TV so she took away the one thing I did like.

Personally I wish I could do half of what my parents did to me, to my 8 year old cousin. She's never been spanked, swatted, grounded, or had things taken away that weren't given back five minutes later. When my mother threatened to spank her with a belt for not listening to her a couple days ago, she got mad and stormed out the room. She wasn't scared or intimidated, she was mad someone had actually said she was being bad.

My kids are canines. And yes, dogs can pout. I won't let my Bullmastiff get in my Dane's kennel (and vice versa). Same with food bowls. No getting on the bed unless the puppy blanket is on there (new comforter does NOT need puppy destruction). Hugs are requested, not given (my Dane likes to jump up and give hugs...this is now by invitation only)

And the one they hate the most? Being on a tie-out cable inside a fenced yard (it's not tall enough for me to trust letting them loose). My big boy will go all the way to the end, tug twice, look back to make sure I'm watching and then tug again. Then he whines and does a little yip, which makes him sound like a Pomeranian despite his Bullmastiff pedigree.

You shouldn't chain your dogs up outside. They can get hurt very easily. If you can't afford a higher fence, you probably should have considered getting a smaller dog that you were equipped to handle. He is probably yipping because it hurts when he tries to pull away.

My 2.5 year old hates when i sing....so now I do it really loud!

my parents and i have a really great relationship. they never once punished me. never grounded me or spanked me. and were always open to talking things out. if i wanted to stay up till 3am and text, that was my choice. if i went to a party, i would call my mom to come pick me up and give me a ride home. if i said i really didnt want to go to school that day, she would call me in 'sick'. they trusted me, and i never broke that trust because i respected them. i always got my crap together. when i slid off the rode last winter i cried because i thought they would be mad (wrecked the whole side of the car hitting a pole). they said "we can only be mad at you, because of the fact that you are okay." she let me drive her car for 5 months untill i could pay to fix mine. i got a job at 15 and helped them pay for bills and stuff and still managed to pass highschool with all a's. my oldest brother dropped out of highschool and recently moved back in with my parents. he has NEVER kept a job and is in his late 30's. my other brother had a baby, dropped out of college, and now works at walmart. they both had punishments growing up along with nagging to do homework and curfues etc. i on the other hand, am the first one in my family to go to college and kept a 4.0 my entire first year. my mom and dad are my best friends im so happy i tured out to be the person i am. i hope when i have children i can be the same way. but on that note, i am in school studying child psychology and guiding behavior. there are ways to 'control' a child without being crule.

My teens keep their rooms clean. Why? Because when they were each at the 10-11 year-old stage when their rooms were a pit, I gave them a choice. Pick up your room, or I will do it for you. They, of course, didn't do it, so while they were in school, I went and put everything that was out into a trash bag. Trash, clothes (clean and dirty), homework, toys...you name it. If it wasn't put away, it went into the trash bag. They then had to "earn back" their stuff by having good days where they got all of their chores done and got along with their brothers and sister. They could choose two items out of the bag for every good day.
It only took once, and now when I tell them to go check their rooms, they are immediately clean.

*rubs hands together* so many great ideas, not enough children....

I used to have trouble waking up in the morning when I was a teenager. My mom tried a variety of different tactics to get me out of the bed. She turned on the light, I'd pull the covers over my head to block it out. She'd sprinkle cold water on my face, but it didn't phase me. She'd pull the covers off onto the floor, I'd just roll over and curl up into the fetal position. Finally, she discovered that I find early morning cheerfulness VERY annoying, so around 5:30am, she'd start singing at the top of her lungs, "YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, MY ONLY SUNSHINE! YOU MAKE ME HAAAAPPPPYYYYY WHEN SKIES ARE GRAY....." or "RISE AND SHINE, LAZY SLEEPYHEAD! GET THOSE LAZY BONES OUT OF THE BED...". I'd holler, "PLEASE STOOOOOPPPPP!!!" She kept singing anyway because she knew that I'd get up just so she'd shut up.