A glimpse of parenthood

Last weekend, B and I watched her nephews Charlie and Mathis on Saturday night. Mathis only stayed for a few hours, and Charlie stayed over for the night. I love when we watch the boys, but it definitely gives me a glimpse of the future, aka PARENTHOOD! I think B and I do quite well with the boys, especially B (she really is much better). However, I think I might wind up being too much of a softy. An example: I was in charge of Charlie by myself on Sunday morning. I made him pancakes for breakfast. He barely ate anything, so I asked him if he wanted something different. He turned to me and said, macaroni and cheese. Now, it was only about 8 am at this point, so really, it was too early for mac and cheese. Being the sucker I am however, I went back into the kitchen and proceeded to make mac and cheese for breakfast! What a pushover! In my defense, he had been sick for a few weeks before, and I wanted him to eat something, no matter what it was. Still...weak!

Obviously Charlie is not my son, and I think it's okay for him to have fun with us; the home rules don't necessarily need to be enforced strictly here (within reason of course). However, as I made mac and cheese at 8 am, I worried that maybe I will be too easy on my own kids. I like to think I won't, but it's hard to say. I do know I won't have time to make multiple meals (well, really, B will be cooking), I will want clear rules, etc. Regardless, I can see how easy it is to let the child run the show...if he's happy, I am happy, at least in the short run. The problem is the long run...it will be our job to set boundaries and rules so our kids grow up to be decent people. That will mean making decisions that bring tears and arguments, and as the kids get older, it will mean slamming doors and the silent treatment. Through it all, it will be our job to stay strong and draw the line...no mac and cheese in the morning is just the beginning. Scary, exciting stuff, and I'm excited to begin that journey some day.