Growing up, I had the kind of parents other kids would term as "cool".
Why?
Our house was like the center of it all, the place where all the other kids gathered to play.
My parents made sure we didn't lack anything, my Dad bought us Nintendo Wii and would let us play on weekends, we were allowed to watch cartoons whenever we liked, something the other kids didn't have a privilege of doing.
My mum let my big brother and I eat what we wanted.
I think my parents permitted the playing and watching of cartoons because we were both good with school so they had nothing to worry about.
Being the only girl at that point, I had more restriction than my older brother, like when he would go to play with his male friends,my mother would tell me to stay put because I wasn't like them.
I honestly hated it. I didn't understand why I couldn't go with my brother to visit his male friends.
Another thing, anytime we had like should I term "important visitors", we were always told to stay in our room. I wasn't going to swallow the visitor, I was just a little girl so I didn't see the point.
Then there was the issue of washing your plate immediately you finished eating. The food I ingest needs to take about an hour to digest, so after I finish eating, the next thing would be to lie on the bed with my tummy up waiting for it to go down well.
My mother wouldn't permit it. Immediately I was done with my food,my plate should be taken to the kitchen and washed. This was something I begrudgingly did everytime.
Anytime my mother was cooking, she would ask me to come stand and watch her cook. Why did I have to when my brother could stay in the parlour watching tv?
My parents are actually really awesome, I talked all about my mum because she was the one that did the things I would term as "annoying".
My Dad was extremely playful, still is but when he wanted to flog, he would take all the play, convert it to pain then triple it(lol).
My mother shouted alot at us, sometimes it involved cussing. It became such a usual thing that throwing insults around the house was part of our daily routine until my Dad sat everyone down and told us just how the tongue when used as a negative tool can actually destroy a person. It might have been a "norm" to us but we didn't know what we were indirectly instilling into each other's lifes.
Being twenty one years now and approaching motherhood, I know they were only trying to protect and make me a better person.
I have to say my children will enjoy the same privileges I enjoyed, letting them watch cartoons not excessively, having access to eat what they want to and everything my mother did to me as I little girl I'd also reflect on my children.
It was annoying back then, but the way she trained me was the right way, we would term as having proper home training.
Somethings though I might give a little tweak, I wouldn't just keep my children away from the opposite gender, I would explain the reasons why.
My mother never didn't, so I saw it as a form of punishment or her loving my brother more than me.
The kitchen aspect would also apply but I wouldn't just limit it to the female children, all genders will be involved.
I also don't think I would be able to beat my children especially if labor is as painful as it looks.
Source
I would give my children a free hand, but not without monitoring, allow them taste alcohol so they don't hide in corners to do it, permit them being in a relationship as long as they're at the right age and it's a healthy one, allow them to have sleepovers, go to parties.
Everything as usual should have a limit, hiding and being secretive about things would also make them want to do the same so I plan to have an open household, knowing their friends, where they spend their time and how they do it.
One of the reasons I love Georgia from the Tv show Ginny and Georgia.
She's the exact replica of the kind of parent I want to be without all the murder and smoking of course.
I would want to to shield them from the ugly of the world and also be someone they can talk to.
I look at some people and I feel sad because they don't have parents that are approachable, my parents, most especially my mother might have placed a lot of limit on me growing up but I know they only did it because they love me.
Good parents only wants what is best for their children, that's the kind I want to be just like my parents are.