Pre-teens and Limits

OK everyone looking for a rant, look away now...it's gonna' get mushy in here!

We had our 6th Grade Cadette Girl Scout meeting this week and we were focused on Peer Pressure. One of the questions that we asked the girls was if they thought it was OK to go to a party when the parents of the kids in the house were not there the whole time. I was totally surprised to find that their answer to that question was entirely dependent on which parents knew what. They pretty much said "we think it's fine as long as the adults know what is going on and set some limits to keep us safe." I kid you not. I was floored by that!

I always heard that pre-teens (and teens) want limits but that they would never tell you that...but apparently they not only want limits, they actually know that they want limits and, if you ask them, they'll TELL you they want limits....How cool is that?

I didn't really get it how important those limits are for making our kids feel safe...but the girls sure did!

So here's my thought for the week: giving your kids really clear boundaries gives them freedom. They feel safe and that lets them go out and explore their world. Personally, I think that is something I need to learn in my own life. Maybe if I could give myself some really clear boundaries (particularly when it comes to work) I could give myself more freedom to explore my world! And how cool would that be!