The Best Lesson is a Bought Lesson: Sometimes You Can't Control your Kids

Hey! It’s Ms. Mauri again. Thanks so much for all the support on our first parenting Post. I kept trying to figure out what my topic should be this week. It’s not like I dont have three kids and a ton of stories. I DO! Last time you got to know me, now hopefully I can teach you a little something. My Grandma Snooks was so full of wisdom. She was my right hand when I was growing up. Grandma shared her advice with me on a lot of things. She would always try to guide me down the brightest paths. In my teenage years I thought I knew it all. You could not tell me I wasn't encyclopedia Barbie. One day she said, “let me tell you something, THE  BEST LESSON IS A BOUGHT LESSON”. I busted out laughing, what does that even mean? but MAN did I learn the hard way. Let me explain to you what I’ve learned about life. First off, there is a price to be paid for EVERYTHING. You can’t even get a glass of WATER for FREE. Someone somewhere is paying a price for everything, even what appears to be “free”. I tell my kiddos all the time: Nothing in this life is free. Throughout all their mistakes and bad choices, there is NOTHING one of my children can do to stop my love for them. I do not have to approve of everything they do in life. I may not like all of their friends. I may tell them what I think is best in any situation. Even though your children might not agree with you, yes, they must respect and value your household rules. However, rules will be broken, but will that stop my love for my kids? NEVER. See, throughout all my mistakes, God never stopped loving me. I can think of so many times I’ve disappointed my Mom. Parents aren’t perfect either, I’ve made so many poor choices yet my kids and my own mom still LOVES me. Sometimes as parents, we make our children feel as if we have stipulations on our love for them in effort to discipline. Parents are human. Parents have FLAWS.  Always remember, when someone does something wrong, especially your child, there is a PRICE to pay. The best lesson is a bought lesson, and PAYMENT could come in many forms: not allowing you to speak to your friends on your phone, taking your car for a weekend, paying back money, not allowing you free time. There is a price to pay for unacceptable behavior. This is one way for our children to correct their mistakes to learn some of life’s lessons. However, sometimes we have to let them make some of their own calls. We also have to be there to pick them up when they make the wrong ones, and trust me, they WILL. I am not saying do not have rules. I am saying, tell them the rules guide them through life, but know there will be times when they don't want your advice nor do they want to follow your rules. That’s when you say “Baby, The Best Lesson is a Bought Lesson!” Now if you’re still confused, let me tell you a story.

When my son Dee was young, I was “Johnny on the spot” with this kid. I was so full of rules. POOR Dee. He was always walking the line. I thought I had a perfect script on how kids should act. I was a young mother who wanted to prove to everyone I had this all under control. I DID NOT! Trust me if you have children you get it. I’m laughing at myself cause the older we get the less patience we have. Less Patience = more Vino. When Dee was in middle school, he had so much energy. Dee was just being the little athlete he was, running around the house talking major trash. I swear it sounded like Dee was running up the walls. He used to be upstairs playing football all by himself. At the time, Mariah was little and I was just trying to make dinner and keep an eye on her.  Long story short Dee was CLOWNING. I yelled up stairs again asking Dee to PLEASE STOP. It sounded like the ceiling was about to collapse. I ask him to stop he came back with all the sass. I told Dee over and over “STOP you’re going to get hurt”. It was not minutes later, Baby Boy was hungry so here he comes, running through that upstairs hallway. Here we go! THE BEST LESSON IS A BOUGHT LESSON.  Dee must have thought our steps were stadium steps and baby MISSED ONE. YIKES!  I heard him SCREAM. My Son came crashing down the steps. Sorry Dee, payment was DUE! There was PRICE for his disobedience. I heard that crash and ran into the dining room. I hugged him so tight, and made sure he was okay. Then I had to turn my head a little and busted out laughing so hard tears came to my eyes.  I said “Son, I bet you will listen next time”. I did not have to do anything. GOD DID!  Now thank God you did not break your neck. Parents, sometimes you have to see yourself as a broken record. Cause that is exactly what you sound like to your kids. At some point they all learn the BEST LESSON IS A BOUGHT  LESSON. Until they pay the price, they won’t learn the lesson. Let’s try to learn from our Life mistakes early, so we don’t have to PAY for them later.

I hope you guys enjoyed this weeks post . Believe me, I have fallen down lots of stairs. I’ve had a lot of lessons that took me a LONG time to learn. I say it to my kids and I’ll say it to all of you, don’t be me, be better than me. Make the right choices so you don’t have to pay high prices.  You GOT THIS!

Love and Light,

Ms. Mauri