I have worked in 2 different day care centers, an after school program, done 3 children's ministry internships, volunteered at an elementary school, and been around kids for a long time. This has given me a lot of material to make a list with. So here's the start of my "When I have kids I vow not to..." list.
When I have kids I vow not to... ever say "I don't believe in making my children do anything they don't want to do." Really? You make them go to school don't you?
When I have kids I vow not to... overload their schedules. Does your child really need to have their life booked for them? Whatever happened to play time?
When I have kids I vow not to... give them empty threats. If I tell them to put it down or they'll have to sit out for awhile, then they'll have to sit out for awhile.
When I have kids I vow not to...let them spend hours in front of the Xbox.
When I have kids I vow... not to stop them from trying new things.
When I have kids I vow.... to put them first.
When I have kids I vow.... to have family night!
When I have kids I vow... to give them chores. I tell you what, kids these days (don't I sound like I'm 79?) don't have to do anything for themselves.
This is just the start of my list. I'm sure I'll think of more things to add to this with more experience...
And no.... I'm not having any kids right now.
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One thing I've learned from being an observer of parents for this long: I don't think you ever really know what you'll do until you're in that situation. But I think it's good to be mentally prepared for some stuff anyway! Also, I'm not sure putting kids first is the best for them, but maybe that's just me & how I've seen parents twist their kids' egos into something maniacal in doing so. Everything I've been reading & hearing lately is about how kids benefit from you putting your relationship with God first, your marriage second and then your kids. But I agree with almost everything else! From one non-parent to another. :-)
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