I didn't have children to fix my mistakes in life, I want them to get to make mistakes in theirs.

My good friend blogs daily and writes a good one, I might add, she has just taken the "blog with integrity" pledge.  I am happy for her and see her point in why she did.  I am not taking the pledge.  I thought long and hard about whether I should or not and have come to the determination that I can't.  I feel that integrity is something I strive hard for in my life.  I can't say that I have never lied because no one can say that and be telling the truth.  I rarely lie,  I try hard not to and don't knowingly do so unless it is to spare someones feelings when there is no point in hurting them for the sake of the truth.  I tell youthful fantasy lies about Santa and the Easter bunny to my children but again not a lie of mean intent.  I would say that I made a pledge to God along time ago when I was Baptised,  to be a person of integrity was part of that and I see no reason to pledge to some one, I hold in lesser regard than the Lord, something I try to live by daily. So, I will blog with the integrity I give to my life but I won't pledge to you that I will do so just for the sake of a pledge. Pledges are a sacred vow to me and my blog is my writing to my children and those who would find some interest in them, they are not for a serious life or death cause so I will not make a pledge that is serious beyond the intent of the blog.  Enough said.

I find the way people bring up there children to be of such interest.  Some want all that they didn't have for their children, and their children get it, but quite often their children are not the people they were but are spoiled brats that want all on a silver platter. Some people hate the mistakes they made in their lives and do all they can to make sure their kids never make those mistakes,  the child never gets to experience their own failures or success at over coming their mistakes.  Some people radically change to such an extreme from their up bringing that their child is an experiment in the making. Sometimes this can be so wonderful and sometimes you wonder what they were thinking. Why would you raise a child to spite your parents? I have no idea how many ways of raising a child there is but imagine it would be as countless as the stars in heaven.  I do know about raising my own children.  I didn't want so much different for them than the way I was raised but the difference were not subtle.   I wanted them to know I love them, I tell them I do, they never have to "know I love them", they know because I say it.  I have never spoiled them with things, maybe because I couldn't always afford them but I like to think because they need to know the value of the things they wanted.  I raised them to be polite, know how to work, respect their elders and show kindness to their fellow man.  I wanted them all to love God beyond any and everything.  I wanted them to make their own mistakes and be better people for the process.  I wanted them to have the same love of life and freedom of spirit that I have.  I never wanted to take away their right to win or fail.  I wanted for them the honesty of a life well lived on their own terms.  Maybe I am wrong and I suppose all parenting plans are, on some level, but I wanted the best I could give to my kids, and that had nothing to do with things..... tomorrow.