Comments on: You Must Obey Me…Or Someone

By: Cooper

Cooper — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:28:50 +0000

Thank you so much for this article … I was just with a mom that kept saying to her adorable 2 year old girl, “you need to OBEY me”. It was so hard to listen to, but I didn’t know what to do! There must be some type of parenting style out there that recomends this awful language?! What a terrible thing to say to a child. What happened to helping a child develop their own independent thinking and developement of their own instints. I am trying to teach my children that we are a family and we all respect each other. They listen to us out of respect and we listen to them out of respect. Plus, that language makes the other adults around uncomfortable.

By: Lindsay Steve

Lindsay Steve — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:11:31 +0000

Hi there! I discovered your page on bing. I’m just in the process of starting a blog and wondered how you found the WordPress platform to install.Anyway, great website and ill def be visiting again! cheers

By: Sandy Naidu

Sandy Naidu — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:08:06 +0000

Interesting post – According to me ‘Obey’ is a dirty word – If you raise your child to constantly obey you then I think it can kind of kill their creativity, independent thinking (and all those positive things). Having said that, you do want them to listen to you. So I use the term – ‘you need to listen to me’ – rather than obey (sounds like military academy) -

By: Keith Wilcox

Keith Wilcox — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:25:27 +0000

“Obey” doesn’t particularly sit well with me either. I think this parent would have been better served to use “respect.” If the kids was acting like a disrespectful turd then that sounds a bit better to my ears. Respect is a big part of our core values as a family. I respect my kids and I expect them to respect me. Such things like not interrupting when someone else is talking, helping when you see someone needs help. Those sorts of thing. But, yeah, not Obey — that connotes a one sided relationship. You are correct. Keen observation!

By: DD

DD — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:45:37 +0000

Obey is for the lazy–it’s just easier. Men figured that out centuries ago when they wrote the marriage vows.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:22:35 +0000

I agree with most the other commenters that ‘obey’ has some potentially bad connotations. I like your point about realizing there are consequences to actions. That’s what I strive to teach my kids.

If you do x,… y happens. Usually the consequence itself causes the kids to listen, especially when ‘y’ in the equation involves me taking off my belt!

By: Celeste Short

Celeste Short — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:51:21 +0000

Just for the record, you are some of the FUNNIEST DAMN PEOPLE in the WORLD!!!!!!!!

and so are your kids…………:)

By: David

David — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:30:11 +0000

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