All the hard work pays off (long)

Before we had our son I never would have said we'd be strict parents. After all, I was raised by hippies in a ridiculously loving home, always surrounded by animals, with few strictures beyond the Golden Rule.Turns out, however, my husband and I are both sticklers for politeness, kindness, punctuality, cleanliness, inclusion of others, a strong work ethic, decent money management... basically we took my folks' philosophy and fleshed it out so we can make sure that in an age of absolutely asinine millennials we can be sure we're raising a decent, highly respectful human being. I have watched the show 'the World' Strictest Parents' and honestly thought 'eh... that's not that bad.' I'm not the easiest mom to live with, but I do give my son HUGE amounts of love as well as being tough on him sometimes.On to the good stuff. Kiddo is nine and a half now and we are beginning to see the fruits of our labour.We picked our boy up from an overnight camp yesterday. We asked how he did - did he behave with respect, eat well, participate, help others, etc... and we were quietly ushered aside. Uh-oh. Okay, what'd he break? Did he get into an argument about the name of some insect, vehicle, or dinosaur? Throw a pancake in the dining hall?Nope... nothing bad, something very, very good. He was SO good that they asked if we were thinking of having him back (for some, kids go every year, for some it's a one-time treat). We are already sending him again this summer, and as long as he wants we will send him every year. They said they were so glad to hear it, because he was so stand-out lovely -- helpful, engaged, super polite, positive, respectful (one counsellor said just having him around made them feel so happy; my heart just about burst) -- that they would like to invite him to join the junior counsellor-to-be program, so he could eventually become a counsellor.This is a place with a waiting list miles long just to volunteer, and they're incredibly picky about who they hire. We were bowled over. We know this isn't something that they casually say to just anyone -- we know loads of people whose kids attend this camp, and are quite close with some of the parents. We would definitely have heard about it if their kids had been offered this type of opportunity!Moral? If you're out there, actually parenting, working your ass off to make sure your kid behaves like a person and not a phone-headed, disrespectful, back-talking zombie, keep on keeping on. Be strict but loving. Teach your kid right from wrong. Take the time to explain WHY you're implementing a consequence for misbehaviour. Make it appropriate. Follow through. So many people don't, because it feels easier, but the short-term pain is SO worth the long-term gain. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2lJSQBf