What kind of mom am I?

You know, I think we all think that we are a cool mom deep down inside. We all think that we are doing what we think is right, but when it comes to parenting..there is no right or wrong. Well there is definitely wrong, but that's a whole another discussion.

The other day I was having a discussion with someone about something that I did and they go, "oh no, you're not a helicopter mom are you?" Uh, helicopter mom? Then I got it, a mom that pretty much hovers over their children in everything they do, never letting go. I said, "no way, I'm a tiger mom." I love how that's my response now. So I wonder if you ask all the moms around the world what kind of mom they think they are..what kind of answers would we get? 

So I decided to take a quiz. I just Google'd it and looked up the first link: What Type of Mom Are You?

The Alpha Mom

Watch out, kids, because here comes the Alpha Mom! She is plugged in and all business, even when it comes to solving personal issues—her kids are always on time and have the cleanest clothes on the block. She uses her vast contacts and tech knowledge to simplify the complex in her life. Alpha Mom is armed with a BlackBerry, and she is going to make it happen. Whatever "it" is—a school fundraiser, a playdate, a corporate merger. Alpha Mom is always on top of it. 

Okay, so this doesn't really answer my question. Well a little bit. I know I'm an over achiever and I take "putting my kids first" way too seriously (if that's even possible).

What I do and my reason for it:

1. I always make sure my kids are clean. If you wouldn't run around with crust around your mouth and looking a mess why would you let your kids? I understand that kids get dirty but there's no reason why the dirt should stay there if they're done playing. Parents, teaching your kids to wipe their mouths and their hands after they eat is not only for hygiene reasons, it's manners!
2. No soda's, juice or candy. If it doesn't belong on the food pyramid, it doesn't belong in their body. They are kids and they have their whole lives ahead of them to dump sodas and sugary things into them when they are older. If you start them adjusting to the idea of not having any of these things when they are young, they are more likely to not want it when they are older. Kids already have energy, we don't need to fill them with sugary drinks and candy. Also, my thought is if you give them something that they are obviously going to prefer versus bland stuff (ex. regular milk or water) they are always going to choose chocolate milk, juice or soda. I've made exceptions for Chase now since he's exposed to different things at school. I'm sure he's had a piece of chocolate or a chocolate chip cookie, but not in my house. Instead give them the cake without the frosting or better yet maybe some pie! Orange juice is the exception I make. 
3. I let Chase fight for himself. If I fight all of his battles for him, then he's never going to learn to stand his own. I tell Chase that it's not okay to hit, but if someone hits you then you hit them back. Most parents will probably disagree with this but I will not let my kids get bullied. There is a difference between fighting and self defense. I don't want him to come to me and be a tattle-tale. I won't be by his side every minute of the day especially when he goes to school. He needs to be able to handle his own.
4. I constantly remind Chase to drink water. I think this one is pretty self explanatory but easily forgotten. We as adults don't drink our daily amount and we remember things. Can you imagine kids trying to remember to drink water on top of their exciting day? I think sometimes people forget to get their kids into the habit of drinking water that the kids end up not liking it. I think it's a very important habit to instill. Kids play all day and forget that they're thirsty. Next thing you know, they are dehydrated and don't feel well. Let's not even let it get there! 
5. I bargain with Chase a lot. Maybe bargaining is not the right word. If Chase asks me for something, I usually ask him to do something for me in return. It's not really that he HAS to. It's more so he gets accustomed to the idea of, giving and taking. Not just taking and I want this and that. It's more if you want this, then you have to work for it. As kids, there's not much he can "work for." But it gets him into the right mindset of not just demanding things. 
6. I make him eat his dinner. I know it doesn't sound like much but I can't express how often I've heard parents complain about their kids not eating or not wanting to eat. I'm not saying I force feed my kid, but there are times when kids just want to play and they say they're full. I've heard Chase tell me he's done because he sees other people are done and he wants to play, but I tell him to finish his food and he actually does. Judging by portion and when he had a snack I think you can use your best judgement and see if he's really full or just trying to get out of eating for playtime. Which leads me to the next one..
7. No T.V or playing when eating. We sit down and have dinner time. It's a very important thing that both Brandon and I agreed on. I think it's important to have a family sit down dinner where we aren't distracted by TV. Occasionally, we do allow him to eat in front of the TV (usually on weekends) but that's seldom. I'm saying MAYBE once or twice a month if even. When we do, I almost immediately regret it because he's distracted from his food. Next thing you know, he has barely eaten and he just doesn't want to eat anymore. Kids should sit down and eat. They shouldn't get up and down from the table running around. I think it also develops good manners. Would you let your kids run around in a restaurant while everyone's eating? 
8. No yelling or screaming. Have you ever heard kids at the grocery stores or restaurants that just yells and screams for shits and giggles? Or they do it because they're trying to throw a tantrum. I personally think it's embarrassing to have a child act out in that way. One, they should never have to yell or scream in a high pitch voice unless they are frightened or they are in some sort of open space yelling off a mountain. 
9. I don't let my kids run around the store. I'll admit I was hesitant to let Chase walk when we were inside Target for the first time. I was afraid that he would be out of control running around that I would have to try and catch him and just have other people look at me with terror in their eyes. If Chase started acting up he's going back in the cart. Luckily, when I tell him to stay by me he does. At once point, I even tested him telling him he had to stay next to me at all times and I would suddenly stop just to see if he'd notice. 
10. I emailed the principal of an elementary school to see how old you have to be to enroll. Yes, my son is only turning 3 years old, but it's never too late to start planning for their education future. I know that school isn't everything, but that's where they are pretty much going to start becoming influenced by peers and you can only hope that what you have distilled in them remains on their mind. The least you can do, is make sure they go to a good school to limit the negative peer pressure. I saw that the school next to ours only had a 4 rating out of 10. So I decided to look around and see what other schools within our school district was good. I saw one that had 9 out of 10 and great reviews so I emailed the principal to see how old do they have to be to start kindergarten and if they offered Pre-K. 
11. I don't make excuses for my kids behavior. Yes, sometimes being tired is the culprit but a lot of times I think parents are just looking to make excuses for their kids behavior. If Chase is acting out of line, you best believe I'm the first one to call him out on it. The more you make excuses for your kids, the more you're making an excuse to accept inappropriate behavior. 
12. Whining and crying. I'm still working on this one. I tell him all the time to stop whining! It's babyish, and it's not necessary especially if you're a big boy. It's annoying and they need to learn to ask for things in a big boy way. Another thing is crying when they are in trouble. If you're getting scolded for not listening, don't cry. I don't even want to hear it. If you don't want to be in trouble, then don't do something that will get you in trouble. 

I'm wrapping up my list here. This might be a very controversial list depending on people's parenting style. If you disagree with me, that's okay. Just because I'm strict doesn't mean I'm not loving. In fact, I'm strict because I love them. I think it's important to distill good discipline and manners when they are young and become more relaxed as they get older. That way they already have that fundamental in them and it comes more naturally. At the end of the day, our kids are a reflection of ourselves and are also our greatest compliments.