Saying No

When I was in high school, I was like any other teenager.  I thought I deserved everything.  I remember numerous fights and arguments with my parents when they told me I couldn’t do something.  Fast forward a couple years to my first semester of college.  I was talking to my dad one day and I remember telling him how grateful I was that he and my mom did have the back bone to tell me no.  It is so important that parents are willing to be the “bad guys” sometimes in order for their children to understand their place.  I’m the 6^th of 8 kids so as my parents have gotten older, they have not been as strict and I’ve definitely seen the way that has affected my two younger brothers.  They have absolutely no respect for my parents and do whatever they want, even when my parents ask them not to.  I loved the quote that Richard Miller shared from Joe J. Christensen in Who Is the Boss? Power Relationships in Families.  He said,

“Do not be afraid to set clear moral standards and guidelines. Be sure to say no when it is needed. As Dr. John Rosemond counseled: “Give your children regular, daily doses of Vitamin N. This vital nutrient consists simply of the most character-building two-letter word in the English language––‘'No’ . . . Unfortunately, many, if not most, of today’s children suffer from Vitamin N deficiency. They have been over-indulged by well-meaning parents who have given them far too much of what they want and far too little of what they truly need.” (2008)

It frustrates me to see my younger brothers disrespect my parents and it is even more frustrating that my parents seem to do nothing about it.  It’s easy to say that I will do things differently when I become a parent, but I honestly have no idea what it’s really like to be in the position that my parents are in right now.