Discipline

**Disclaimer: I have only mothered one child and she is now four - so please read this post and understand where I am coming from. I'm not telling anyone how to raise or discipline their kid, but I do have comments.

With that being said...uurrrggghh. Now as you all know I live on a college campus with my 4 year old daughter. Not your typical everyday situation, but I have to make it work to achieve the goals I want in life. The dining hall is a place where meals are eaten and students gather and mix minds. I have trained my daughter to understand that the dining hall is a place to eat and not play. Unfortunately some other mothers feel like this is a time for them to eat and let the kids run loose.

When/Where do you draw the line? I was having a conversation with another mother just yesterday, interestingly enough..the dining hall was the topic of discussion. She mentioned that some of the "traditional" students sometime stare at her when her child is running around the dining hall....yeah ..da..I would look at you too..

Her defense is/was, they are children and they are going to run. You just have to teach them when enough is too much ( in the dining hall).

Um, no...

I said, children will do what you tell/show them. They take their lead from the parents (more often than not)...... I go onto further explain, before I moved here, when my daughter and I sat down to dinner, she wasn't allowed to run around like a fool and chew in between breaks - so why would I allow her to do that here. So apparently she and I disagree on this issue.

When we (my babes & I) walk into the dining hall - we walk in there with the intent to eat, be nourished and get out. So now she notices that "other" kids get to run around and she has to stay in her sit, so yeah I've received a few "your means" here and there, but I accept them. I know and feel I am teaching her the right way (**). We are in a place full of students, faculty and other visiting adults. When you are outside, you can run until you can't run anymore ( or until I tell you to stop). There is a time and place for everything.

Why am I mentioning this? I was extremely bothered by dinner tonight, two little kids running around while their mothers enjoyed conversation and paid them no attention. At anytime someone could get hurt, and then who will these mothers be looking to for explanations?? We need to take responsibility for our actions and be proactive when it comes to our children, not reactive.