Decisions...Choices...Consequences

Decisions, Choices, Consequences. I have little signs with those words on them placed in strategic places around my house...on their bathroom mirror, in the pantry, in their closets...when I first put them up, I even put one on the ceiling above their bed. (I know, kinda lame). It is a rule in our house - there are consequences for every decision and choice that you make...sometimes there are good consequences and sometimes there are bad. That rule applies to us all. I still get stung by it on a daily basis. (When I make a choice to smart off to my wife - there are consequences. But, that is a subject for another day!) It is like gravity...a law of nature that will never go away. My 14 year old and my 11 year old understand this rule and they have accepted it. If they can, why can't the grown-ups in this world understand it?

Every single day we are bombarded with stories of people, whether they are famous or not, that make bad decisions and dumb choices, and then they are flabbergasted when they must face the consequences. Whether it is lying heads-of-state, tax-evading Cabinet choices, pot-smoking Olympic medalists, steroid-using baseball players, or the guy that didn't stop for the stop sign on his way to work; all of them seem to be upset when they are called to task. How can I teach my kids right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions, their bad decisions and bad choices, when there are so many high-profile, supposed heroes that can't do it? Oh, and just as an aside to all you famous people, role-model types out there...just about every single person over the age of 9 in this country has a phone with a camera on it, (some of them even have video)...duh!!

We all want to protect our kids and we all want them to be happy, but...in my opinion, the most important thing we can do for our children is to teach them that there are consequences for their actions and they need to take responsibility for those actions, good or bad. It is hard sometimes. I hate seeing the son and daughter grounded and not able to have a good time. (And when you ground your kids, you are grounded too!! I'm really missing some great basketball games these days.) But we always try to point out and reward good choices too.

So, if you are one of the above-mentioned adults that are making our job as parents harder, please wake up. (Yeah, like Roger Clemens and Tom Daschle are going to read this!!) And yes, I believe if you want to be in the spotlight, if you want the fame, the power, and the cash that comes with it, then you have to accept the responsibility of being a role-model. Its like gravity....