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ngdawg · 08-19-2006, 09:40 AM

I agree. Lojacking a teenager builds a wall of mistrust on both sides. My kids, now 14, know that if they break a trust, they're screwed. My daughter is always with friends, but we know where because we either take her there or the friends' parents come get her. I have an index card of their phone numbers by the phone and she has a curfew of 11pm weekends and summer and 9pm school nights. So
far, she's stuck to that very well, calling us at 10:55 to come get her.
This is not to say that at some point, dropping her at a friend's house would guarantee that's where she stays. But again, it's a matter of trust and the child knowing what will happen if that trust is betrayed. Currently, she's very open, saying that they went to the book store from there, etc.
As for the leashes, I've gotten comments from both sides. When someone said she'd wished her daughter used them, but the daughter said the dog remark, I replied 'Just tell her a dog can be replaced, a child can't'(she liked that comeback). But 99% of the time the remarks were compliments on my 'parenting'. I truly believe that it filtered into other areas-in restaurants, ours weren't the ones making noise, running, bothering other diners; in fact, one time when we got up to leave, a woman in the booth behind us exclaimed, 'Oh!! You had children with you???' (they were 3 at the time). Another time, a mom with a son tugging and pulling on her as they walked remarked she'd wished she had those-I gave her one of my spares and the next week when we saw each other again, there they were, the boy quietly by her side, attached to her wrist. She thanked me profusely.
Children know how to play that 'aggravate mommy and daddy' game very well-just watch the toddler running off laughing while mommy goes after him, frustrated. I had no intentions of playing that. And now that they're older, that's become a real simple fact in this house.

08-19-2006, 09:40 AM	#31 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	I agree. Lojacking a teenager builds a wall of mistrust on both sides. My kids, now 14, know that if they break a trust, they're screwed. My daughter is always with friends, but we know where because we either take her there or the friends' parents come get her. I have an index card of their phone numbers by the phone and she has a curfew of 11pm weekends and summer and 9pm school nights. So far, she's stuck to that very well, calling us at 10:55 to come get her. This is not to say that at some point, dropping her at a friend's house would guarantee that's where she stays. But again, it's a matter of trust and the child knowing what will happen if that trust is betrayed. Currently, she's very open, saying that they went to the book store from there, etc. As for the leashes, I've gotten comments from both sides. When someone said she'd wished her daughter used them, but the daughter said the dog remark, I replied 'Just tell her a dog can be replaced, a child can't'(she liked that comeback). But 99% of the time the remarks were compliments on my 'parenting'. I truly believe that it filtered into other areas-in restaurants, ours weren't the ones making noise, running, bothering other diners; in fact, one time when we got up to leave, a woman in the booth behind us exclaimed, 'Oh!! You had children with you???' (they were 3 at the time). Another time, a mom with a son tugging and pulling on her as they walked remarked she'd wished she had those-I gave her one of my spares and the next week when we saw each other again, there they were, the boy quietly by her side, attached to her wrist. She thanked me profusely. Children know how to play that 'aggravate mommy and daddy' game very well-just watch the toddler running off laughing while mommy goes after him, frustrated. I had no intentions of playing that. And now that they're older, that's become a real simple fact in this house. __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.