Parenting: Am I being too old fashioned/strict?

An ex-work colleague makes his kids plan the food and cooking for one week a month. I think that's one idea I would also adopt.
 
Missing.String said:
I think you could balance the TV and table thing. Compromise is always good.

Also this is OcUK, so remember your child must receive regular beatings.
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I'm sure compromises can be made, I had suggested radio at one point but maybe something could be arranged.

Of course I'll also make sure to have the pasty smashing talk once they're old enough too.

Edit: The fuit and veg thing is a great idea, and it's one that's actually been agreed on!
 
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The sweetie thing is good. I despair when I see parents in supermarkets saying things like "Behave and I'll buy you some sweets" or an equivalent. Kid quickly learns that reward for bad behaviour is a promise of goodies later. As a parent you will be concerned about your children's health and teeth and money - all things that the confectionary industry will not help. I was brought up in the sixties and seventies with fizzy drinks at Birthdays, Easter and Christmas only, and sweets about once per week as a special treat. My teeth were awful - I think due to sugar laden squash and lots of tea with a couple of spoonfuls of sugar in.

Sitting round a table is also a good thing - but very difficult to manage. It used to work in middle class families in the fifties and sixties when a man worked and a woman stayed at home and had time in the afternoon to do the shopping and cooking and setting the table. As a compromise at least go for a major meal at the weekend all around the table.
 
Sheff said:
1. With dinner/tea I'd like to sit around a table and perhaps talk to my child, right now we eat meals in front of the television which is fine for us but I'd quite like a more traditional approach.

2. No sweets unless they're a treat or special occasion or bought with pocket money, and I refuse to give pocket money if my child misbehaves.
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this is how my wife and i are raising our child

dinner/tea is eaten at the table

i absolutely despise DUMMY'S luckily lewis didn't need one

were quite lucky as our lad would rather eat a banana apple or orange than have sweets/chocolate (loves his fruit and veg)

started very early with a bath bed routine hes 3 in march and is in bed by 7 every night if he wakes in the night he can come in with us for 10 minutes then its back to his bed (which he is fine with)

the biggest mistake you can make is letting your child sleep in your bed
in the long run it will be harder and harder to break the cycle

we have a little girl due at the end of November and will be keeping to our parenting techniqes :)

good luck its not old and strict its good wholesome practical parenting
 
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Too many children are growing up these days without the necessary discipline to keep them in line and out of trouble. Whilst people may say you're mean or whatever about this, at least you know you're doing your kids a favour.
 
Nice to see people applying some thought before jumping in.
I agree on both counts although for No.2 you may succumb to emotional blackmail the older the child gets, especially if it's a girl ;)
 
Sheff said:
Hi everyone, my wife and I are planning on starting a family in the next year or two and I've mentioned that I have one or two... ideas that I'd like to stick to.

1. With dinner/tea I'd like to sit around a table and perhaps talk to my child, right now we eat meals in front of the television which is fine for us but I'd quite like a more traditional approach.

2. No sweets unless they're a treat or special occasion or bought with pocket money, and I refuse to give pocket money if my child misbehaves.

Apparantly I'm being a mean old miser, but I'd like to make my intentions on parenting clear before I go ahead with anything, even though I know most of this will probably be forgotten once the time comes, what do you lot think?
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1. We have tried both and found that eating dinner with me and the wife around the table he tends to eat all his dinner but when in front of the tv he will get easily distracted and not eat all his food making him feel hungry later on.

2. This is always a good idea but watch out for family members, I have so much family around me and every single one of them gives him sweets even though i keep telling them not to, If you are going to stick to this rule make sure it is the same wherever you go.
 
Sounds alright to me!

We've always eaten around the dinner table as a family, sweets I can't remember much about though :p
 
G-MAN2004 said:
Too many children are growing up these days without the necessary discipline to keep them in line and out of trouble. Whilst people may say you're mean or whatever about this, at least you know you're doing your kids a favour.
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Agreed.

As for sitting around the table to have are meals together this happens in our family 99% of the time, Unless the football is on:)

TC
 
EffBee said:
The sweetie thing is good. I despair when I see parents in supermarkets saying things like "Behave and I'll buy you some sweets" or an equivalent. Kid quickly learns that reward for bad behaviour is a promise of goodies later. As a parent you will be concerned about your children's health and teeth and money - all things that the confectionary industry will not help. I was brought up in the sixties and seventies with fizzy drinks at Birthdays, Easter and Christmas only, and sweets about once per week as a special treat. My teeth were awful - I think due to sugar laden squash and lots of tea with a couple of spoonfuls of sugar in.

Sitting round a table is also a good thing - but very difficult to manage. It used to work in middle class families in the fifties and sixties when a man worked and a woman stayed at home and had time in the afternoon to do the shopping and cooking and setting the table. As a compromise at least go for a major meal at the weekend all around the table.
Click to expand...

That's one of the reason's for the sweets rule, my milk teeth were terrible as I was allowed to eat what I wanted, thankfully my parents realised what was going on and so my adult teeth aren't too bad. I'd quite like to make sure I'm starting off on the right track. I know it's going to be hard to manage the meals also, especially as I'm currently working odd shifts but I'm definitely willing to put the effort in. :)

indyskyz said:
this is how my wife and i are raising our child

dinner/tea is eaten at the table

i absolutely despise DUMMY'S luckily lewis didn't need one

were quite lucky as our lad would rather eat a banana apple or orange than have sweets/chocolate (loves his fruit and veg)

started very early with a bath bed routine hes 3 in march and is in bed by 7 every night if he wakes in the night he can come in with us for 10 minutes then its back to his bed (which he is fine with)

the biggest mistake you can make is letting your child sleep in your bed
in the long run it will be harder and harder to break the cycle

we have a little girl due at the end of November and will be keeping to our parenting techniqes :)

good luck its not old and strict its good wholesome practical parenting
Click to expand...

Thanks, I hadn't really thought about bedtime routines, again that's going to be another difficult one due to shifts but definitely something we'll have to talk about.
 
Sounds perfectly normal to me, it's how I was brought up (mind you someone on ocuk once called me supernanny :P). It's also what I did when I looked after other peoples children (I did actually nanny for a while). Proper sit down at the table meals, sweets were treats and usually children love fruit/dried fruit as treats too (though as they are good for you, you can give them the fruit treats more often).
 
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