"The Form"

Before I even begin, let me just say, "I love my teenagers!" They are delightful, fun, enjoyable and amazing people. They just need guidance, love, boundaries, discussions, reasoning, time, trust, and more, much more.

 In our home, we don't believe in our children leaving without knowing where they're going, who they're going to be with, when they'll be home, etc, etc. In guiding our children towards increased responsibility, my husband introduced "The Form".

"The Form" was created by our teenagers and Dad. It is a list of questions that need to be answered before we give the OK for a particular event; questions like: "Who is driving?", "How much money will it cost?", "Who is going?", "Where will it take place?". Let me tell you now, my teenagers were not excited about this, but they know their Dad, and he's very lenient when you're responsible, thorough, self-governed and helpful, so they went along.

At first it seemed kind of goofy, but "The Form" has accomplished many things...

1. When a child asks if they can do something, they know we're going to say "Where's the form". They've learned to figure out all the questions before asking if they can do something. It has taught them to gather the information and present it in a logical fashion.

2. Our children have their events well planned; no more last minute phone calls from the movie theater such as, "Can you pick us up". They are more organized and thus, their events go more smoothly.

3. As parents, we have all of the information we need to make an informed decision.  I don't want my children going to a movie if I don't know what they're going to see. (Now, more than ever, is this vital!)

4. We know what our children are doing! We feel comfortable with who they are with and where they are going. We're "in the know" and I love it.

FYI - "The Form" isn't always a physical piece of paper. Sometimes it's an email or an oral explanation, but the key components are there for us to make our decision and for our children to have a fantastic time.

No, our children have not given us "The Form" when Mom and Dad go out together. I'm sure it's just a matter of time...

More to come, but until then...Stick-to-it!