I just read another one of those posts: "If you don't want to ruin your teenager, stop doing these things immediately!". Well, I didn't read it, I glanced at it. The first item it mentioned was waking them up in the morning. I just........don't agree with that!
The morning wake-up was a tradition when I was growing up. All the way until I left for college, my dad had the kid wake-up duty. He performed it with humor, style, information and (when I look back) flat-out love. There were three kid bedrooms along a straight hallway. He would march down the hallway, singing - out of tune - "Happy Monday (or whatever day) Morning!" and proclaim the news of the day. It could be the result of a basketball match between two rival schools, what the dog had already done that morning, or what exciting event awaited our day or night ahead. Yes, there were days when it was just "Hurry up, get up", but there were also some other days when a bugle was being blown. In the hallway. Outside our bedrooms. A bugle. I owned an alarm clock, and used it as well, but I counted on Dad being there. When I left for college, I missed it. I didn't miss class, I didn't not get out of bed because my parent wasn't there. I knew that I was now on my own and had to get up when the alarm went off!
I carried on the tradition and tried to wake up my kids every day. I wasn't perfect, but I know they can hear my voice saying "Good morning, sunshine!" even now if they try. Parents of teens - they might even talk to you like a human when they first wake up! Oh, they learned to do laundry, cook, wash dishes, shop, budget money and time.......but waking up? My opinion is....do that as long as you can. When it's gone, it's gone.
