How do you think your kids behave?

[Minnie824]

Obviously kids will be kids....no ones perfect. But how do you think, overall they behave? Does it make a difference when you see them in relation to other children? We got together with some friends this weekend - they have 3 kids, we have 2 (2 of theirs same age as 2 of ours). Anyway, at one point, both my DDs were just standing there staring at the kids as if to say, what the heck is going on? I mean the other kids didnt do anything horrible, and as I said, mine are not perfect, but it just made me laugh.

 

[mickeyboat]

I would say my children behave in public, at school and at friends' houses better than most of their peers. At home, I think they probably behave about the same as most other kids their age.

Denae

 

[DVCLiz]

At 12 and 17, I hope by now this is a non-issue with my children, as they have had YEARS to learn what I expect in public and at home!!!!!! They do squabble a little bit at home, although much, much less than many of my friends' children. I think it's because they are five years apart, and therefore there's not really any "competition" for the same things - their lives and the things they are interested in are too different. Now, I will say that being preteen and teenage girls, they are both occasionally moody, but I expect that and we deal with it. After all, I'm moody too sometimes!!!! They know that I'll put up with a certain amount of muttering and one or two door slams, then it's in your room to work off your sulk by yourself.

With my friends and in public, they are delightful. I told them early on, "Look, most of your friends are going to mumble and not look at someone talking to them. You can be a thousand steps ahead in the game if you will just make eye contact and smile when a grown up says hello to you. It's just that simple." So they tried it, and gee whiz, it worked!!!!! I have people tell me all the time what nice girls they are, and it's really just because they know to say hello, smile, and make eye contact. It makes a huge difference to me when I meet someone else's children. If they can look at me and say, "Hi, Mrs. DVCLiz" that's a MAJOR plus. So many kids can't seem to do this.

 

[binny]

For the most part I think they are polite, well behaved children.

Do they have their days? Most definately! Are they perfect? Far from it! BUT they are good kids who dont talk back to their elders, are respectful and generally happy children.

 

[tkd lisa]

My soon to be ex- and I disagreed wildly about this.

I personally think my kids (7th and 8th grade) are pretty much average in their general behavior.

I do think they are more polite than average. They are much more respectful in their language and attitude than the average child I see at their schools, or in the general population. My DS has had a problem with cursing (got busted twice at school), but I truly think that he gets busted primarily because he only does it when he's really upset, so he BURSTS out with it. He doesn't use it in normal conversation.

I have been exposed to LOTS of kids. I was a cub scout and boy scout leader, and a girl scout leader. And I taught many, many children tae kwon do. I volunteered as a field trip chaperone at least once or twice a year for as long as my kids have been in school. I noticed the attitude thing when the kids were in 5th and 6th grade (DDs class in 5th grade, DS's in 6th). It was like a switch was flipped, and the kids just automatically went into full "eye-roll" mode! My kids have their problems, but they know better than to take that kind of attitude with an adult.

My soon to be ex- never really spent time with other kids. So when our kids were being kids, he couldn't understand that this was just how kids are! And he also took it VERY personally. He thought this reflected solely on him, so he'd take it out on the kids because HE was embarassed. Unfortunately, this tended to either create more bad behavior - any attention was attention, right? or make the child withdraw from whatever activity they had been doing since it didn't live up to dad's expectations.

Sorry, I guess the last part was way off topic, but it was a long term issue for me!

 

[slo]

At school my 7yr old is too social, but in a good way according to her teacher. She likes to help others, but she needs to learn when it's appropriate be social (this will be my DD's challenge) Outside of that, she's great in school.

In public, both my girls are fantastic!!! My 7yr old will look at other kids running around in a store like, "I would never get away with that!!!" I have also gotten many compliments on my childrens behavior in restaurants.

At home though
My 7yr old is crazy sometimes and it wears me down. I don't know how this compares to other children, because I have no nieces of nephews to compare her too.

 

[SC Minnie]

Around others she is very well behaved. At home is a complete different story.

When she spends the weekend with my Mom when I pick up her I will ask how she was. My Mom's usual reply is she was very good until you got here.

 

[Marseeya]

My kids are polar opposites.

DD is extremely compliant and well behaved, sometimes to the point of being unnatural. Is that really MY kid???

DS, on the other hand, is badddd to the bone. To give him credit, he's polite in situations where he's meeting other parents, friends' houses, etc. But get him where he's comfortable, like home or school and watch out!!! Now, I know he's my kid. I was the same way to a much, much lesser extent.

 

[crz4mm2]

My kids were pretty well behaved. If they weren't, they took a trip to the bathroom
THey are grown now, and when we are out and about and a kid is really acting up, DD will say "that kid needs to go to the bathroom"
Only took one trip a piece for them to know that they needed to behave in public or else.

At home though, well, they were comfortable, and just kids.

 

[dizagain]

I'd say my kids are very well-behaved in public situations. Their teachers have always said they are sweet and helpful (although younger DD lacks confidence at times) and they do well with their friends. While younger DD is much more "active", they both use manners and self-discipline in public that I rarely see at home . I guess that's the way it should be - they're comfortable at home and can relax. I guess the main thing I notice is that my girls say "thank you" when they leave parties, friends' homes, etc., and I don't get that much from their friends. Other than that, I think my girls are just good kids - not any better or worse than anyone else.

 

[Sherrypooh]

My two ds (14 & 15) are both adhd. There are days that i STILL can't take them anywhere without them hitting each other or just being annoying to the world around them. I too chaperone many class trips, and my oldest is not as evil as my youngest, but that youngest is just bad to the bone.. (just like his mom) I have not ever heard any complaints, but im sure my could drive anyone to drink, i am just used to it. Maybe being 14 mos apart and my youngest being almost a head taller is part of the issue? Maybe they are just brats!

sorry, no help here

sherry

 

[golfgal]

My kids are pretty well behaved in public, school, for other people. Our oldest a little less so at times, the twins never get in trouble, in public anyway. Our oldest has a very well defined sense of right and wrong and if someone is doing something he thinks is wrong he takes it upon himself to correct that and being 13, isn't very diplomatic about it, SOOOOO he usually is getting spoken to about that. One example, at a park some kids took a toy from another smaller kid and he went and took it back from them for her. Well, obviously the kids didn't think that was cool and they started pushing each other around. DS isn't one to back down so of course he pushed back and got in trouble. His heart was in the right place, just the wrong method.

I KNOW my kids are WAY better behaved then most of their cousins and a lot of their friends, although most of their friends are great kids too. Some of the things some kids say to their parents would NOT be tolerated at our house.

 

[CEDmom]

I'd have to say my DD behaves well - we're very fortunate. She's a fairly quiet, happy and gentle child. It's kind of funny when she does misbehave though because it comes as a complete surprise to other people.

 

[cats7494]

I think DD11 is extremely well behaved compared to other kids. I also have spent a lot of time with kids..coaching sports, volunteering, sub. teaching, Girl Scouts, etc...
We get compliments from teachers and other parents often about how sweet, kind, and polite she is. Makes me proud!
At home - she is pretty good too - she knows there are consequences if she is not!

 

[chasbos]

I think we have a pattern going here - very well behaved in public and wild at home! I think that just means that our children are well adjusted and feel comfortable to act natural at home!

My older 2 DD's are 14 & 12 and they are good kids - whenever they go and babysit people love them, they clean up and the house is spotless when they return (at home they are pigs - now that drives me nuts!) They are polite and can interact with others very well.

Our younger 2 DD's are 10 & 7 and they are a handful - I think we just got lazy with them! But in public and with others they are polite and well behaved but they know how to work people! Our 10 yo is wild and never sits down and we have always wondered how she ever gets through a school day. But she has always had very strict teachers who lay down the law and then she listens wonderfully. Well, this year she has a teacher who loves her bubbly nature and lets her get away with everything and then he wonders why when he wants her to sit down and listen she won't! Give that girl an inch and she will take a mile! We have told him he has to be firm with her and let her know who is boss - but he does not want to "squash her enthusiasm"! We told him he was on his own then!

Kids will be kids!

 

[Ava83]

DD3 is 90% great, 10% hellion.

*She is a loud child and needs to be reminded to lower her voice, all the time...So if you have heard us signing in the aisles of target...sorry.

*Loves to get in the mix of things and enjoys other children, her preschool teacher told us she is one of the most friendly kid she has taught (good or bad at 3 you decide) but that leads to her not understanding why her peers will not play with her sometimes (this a young 3 class) but she does have 1 real good friend.

* Is very Stubborn, used to lead to tantrums, but we figured out how to handle that.

*Hates to be rushed, has issues from transitioning from one thing to another, so we do the five minute warning, or

*Is a little actress, drama queen,pop princess

*But our little one minds us like I said 90% of the time. I say with her its either sunshine or stormy weather and little in between, oh and it can get nuts anywhere.

 

[Stitchfans]

When DD25 was little she seldom gave me any problems. She usually was well behaved at school, out in public and at home. Senior year of high school and a couple years after that I had a few minor problems of her hanging with the wrong kids.

DD11 also is a well behaved, very nice girl. So far no problems with her. She is so different from her sister though. She is very quiet, shy, much more into academics than her older sister, and far more interested in extra curriculum activites then DS. She is involved with Girl Scouts, soccer league, dance lessons, so on. Keeps me hopping. Now that I am older that makes it a bit harder, but she's worth it.

 

[rt2dz]

All people, not just kids, have their days--that goes without say... I kind of think that every child is a handful through a certain age period (baby, toddler, preschooler, teenager, tween, etc)

I know my oldest is way better than most. Seriously, I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. At his teacher conference, they told me not only is he the sweetest, politest, most respectful child in his class, but that they have had ever. I hear that every year. Other parents are always asking me "how?".

Now, DS#2 is the complete opposite. The church has even told me what a monster he is. Even for his age, 2. When people tell me how cute he is, I always say it is a good thing with that attitude. He gives new meaning to the phrase high maintance.

DS#3 seems to be somewhere in between. He is still a baby, but the other two showed their personalities the day they were born, so...

 

[Mari annie]

Depending on the moon, or what??

I tell people they are cute angels with little devil horns.....LOL!


They are really good-considering one's a teenager about to get his license and the other is a tween who wants to be treated like a teenager or a grown woman....??LOL

Besides all that, they are sweet nicks!


AAAAAAAAAH it's great to be a mom at this stage, right?!
****watch out....falling hormones..............raging hormones...........
enter with caution!!!

 

[JVL1018]

My daughter is easy, my son is a wild man..but apparantly just at home. I just had his parent teacher conference(he's in preschool) and she raved about him and told me how well behaved he is. he's also great at other people's homes.

I tend to think my kids behave not so great(DS mostly, though DD has a flair for the dramatic) and they do have their moments(besides at home where his "moments" stretch into hours ) but I see kids out and I am like dag! My kids are fantastic!!!!

We went to the movies last weekend and there were 2 kids there going "I wnat butter on my popcorn!! Give me butter! I want a Coke! Get me a Coke NOW!" and my kids looked at me like wth??

Also the one thing that I do notice..so many kids are dawdlers! OMG I am a fast walker and so I am always thinking my kids are slow, but sometimes when I am bringing home other kids after school for playdates( we walk home) I want to pull my hair out--they all walk so slowly!! My kids are like speed walkers compared to virtually every other child in her class, I am so grateful! LOL