Tag Archives: autonomy

“Help me! Help me! And Leave me Alone!”

What parent has not experienced the mixed messages of a child? They want us close; they want us to butt out. They need our help, but they don’t want to admit it. As a parent, it becomes a challenging dance to know when to step in, and when to stand off to the side AND to learn how to interact with our children when they are sending us those mixed messages. The thing with young children is that they tend to be pretty black-and-white thinkers. It is not until a child is nearly grown that he can really tolerate ambiguity … Continue reading →

Can I Really Give Them Autonomy Over Their Space?

I know in my head that my older teens need to have control over their environment and they need space and autonomy in many areas of their lives. I can talk about it and believe in “theory” that it is a very good thing. But, last night when my middle daughter informed me that she was going to be rearranging her bedroom and it involved putting the bed “in the closet” and other creative ideas—I not only balked, I tried very hard to put a stop to the whole endeavor. I tell you it was an absolute hair-trigger response. I … Continue reading →

Does Autonomy Compromise Professionalism?

I was talking with a friend of mine recently who does NOT work from home, someone who is happily holding down a traditional job. She asked me an interesting question, however, that got me to thinking about how home businesses are perceived. She asked: “How do people know that you’re a professional operation when you work out of your home? How do they know you’re not just slacking and unprofessional?” There is still a perceived idea that unless there is an office, a boss, and plenty of meetings—work is not getting done. I can understand that a new customer or … Continue reading →

Letting Our Kids Be Different From Us

When kids are small, they want to be just like mom and dad. They follow us around and mimic our speech and actions–it’s quite easy to get caught up in all the adoration and obvious similarities. But as kids grow, and adolescence kicks in, their striving for an identity of their own may seem incredibly reactionary–anything and everything that is NOT mom or dad. It can be a little painful for us to accept the transition of the teenager and allow them to actually develop an identity that feels like the complete opposite of everything we are. It takes a … Continue reading →