Have you agreed to negotiate with a child who wanted to “get closer” to the edge after you’d limited their approach?
If you have, you know kids often insist negotiations continue long after their limits are established. It’s inevitable. Children want their own way. No matter what they want to do, what it costs or how devastating the long-term consequences may be, kids aren’t satisfied with limits, boundaries or rules.
- Say, “Bedtime is 8:00.” They’ll insist you negotiate and let them stay up longer. Make it 8:30 and they’ll demand 9:00.
- Say, “Be home by Midnight.” They’ll say you are the most unreasonable people on earth if you won’t hear their pleas for a negotiated extension. Give them 12:30 in the morning and they’ll ask for 1:00 AM on the weekends.
- Say, “You can’t be on your phone during dinner.” They’ll ask if they can “just text.” Let them text and they’ll insist they should be able to play games. Let them play games and they’ll say you're unreasonable if they can’t Tweet.
You get the point. No matter what you give, it's never enough. The "responsible" people are expected to negotiate every limit, or they're labeled intransigent. And it's not only children behaving this way; disdain for limits is common with many adults too.
Those who hate rules, limits and boundaries are usually "equal opportunity haters." They'll say ANY limits, boundaries or rules are unfair and untenable. No matter where you draw the line, cap the expenditures or say, “No more,” some people will act like little children, stomping their feet and demanding “negotiations” for more and more and more - no matter how much more they receive.
I don’t want to live like an immature little brat, never satisfied and demanding the removal of boundaries that were put in place to keep me from doing what I shouldn’t. There are some things none of us should do.
I think I’ll grab a Bible and read some of the scriptures where God says, “Do not…” Maybe remembering God's Truth will keep me from exceeding my limits, falling off the edge and getting hurt.
Exodus 20:7,13-16
Do not use the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Do not murder other people.
Do not do sex sins.
Do not steal.
Do not tell a lie.
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