Day #54: Sometimes You Have to Say No

I've come to love the days when we have nowhere to go.  I have time to take care of the necessary housework, the kids have the freedom to play all day, and we get to avoid those stressful transitions out the door.  I am looking forward to school ending and more of our days to have this flow.  It is one of the big reasons we do our best to not over-schedule.

It is hard to say no to the child who is begging to partake in yet another activity.  To say no to the child who says he wants to fit in with all of the boys in his class because they all are involved in the Scouts (whether there is truth to this or not I do not know).  To listen, yet gently remind him he can't do it all.  He must choose what is most important and it is hard at the young age of seven to do that.

While we encourage our children to pursue their interests, we strongly believe in preserving their childhood and our time as a family.  We do not want to be running from this to that each night of the week.  With four children we simply cannot say yes to everything, so our kids have to decide what is most important to them.  It can be difficult and causes some serious drama at times, but in the end we stand by our convictions.  It is okay to set limits.  To say no and not give into the tantrum that may ensue.  While we may feel a twinge of guilt now and then, we truly believe we are doing what's best for our children.  There will be plenty of time left in life to run the race, but little time to simply be kids.