I wasn’t sure if I should go with the current title or ‘3 Reasons Why I’m a Bad Mom’. Mostly because my kids quite possibly think I’m the meanest mommy ever because of these three things.

Oh well.

Apparently they will live.

Because THEY ARE.

1. Stop letting your kid charge their device in their room overnight. This is one of the GREATEST bits of advice I received way back before Emily (nearly 14) even had a device that needed charging. The reasons go without saying therefore, I’m not even going to link up to some scientific article by Mr. Genius Doctor. Our girls charge their devices in the kitchen. ALWAYS. NO QUESTIONS ASKED SO DON’T EVEN ASK ANY. Sometimes I’ll get, ‘But, Mom, I’m only going to listen to music on it while I fall asleep’. Too bad kid. SING TO YOURSELF INSTEAD. You have a great voice. Or ‘But Mom it’s the weekend’. Oh yay! STILL NOPE. You would not believe how late the notifications come in from friends. Our kids turn the devices off by 9pm and plug them up unless they are being used for homework, which does happen sometimes. I pinky promise you that your kid will be just fine without that device in his/her room overnight.

2. Stop allowing your child to play a device/watch a movie/whatever else while at a show/concert/service/sibling event. This one drives me mad. Yesterday Allison had her first band concert and Emily asked if she had to go. UM YES YOU HAVE TO GO. She wanted to know why. How about because she’s your sister and it’s respectful to go? PERIOD. (Okay so sometimes I’m sarcastic to my kids) Now, Emily did take her phone in with her; however, she knew that she better not even GLANCE at that joker during the concert. This is just common courtesy. Why aren’t kids watching their siblings at the shows? Because ALL of the siblings seated around us were on devices. ALL OF THEM. Why are they allowed to fiddle around with some other form of entertainment when there is something called LIFE happening right in front of their freckled faces?! Parents, please know that having your child put away the device during these times teaches them respect for others and their time spent practicing. It teaches them patience and how to sit for something important. Because one day THEY will be up there and I’m pretty sure building that brick wall in Minecraft can wait. (*disclaimer: Josie DID watch 2.5 minutes of a video during the concert while they were setting up for the next set. I later left the room because she was restless rather than have her stare at a screen during the music. **disclaimer #2: if your little one is special needs then you do what you need to do device-wise for that sweetie.)

3. Stop dropping your kids off at a friend’s house and NOT going to the door with them. Y’all. I want to see the face of the person that will be in charge of my child for the next little bit. In fact, I want to KNOW the person. That way, if I have to identify someone in a line-up at the police station I can. (sounds like I’m joking. I am NOT.) Last year we had a sleepover for one of our girls on her birthday. There were 12 girls here. Want to know how many parents came to the door to meet me? TWO. That would be TEN parents that just dropped their daughter off without even seeing my face. THAT’S SCARY. Even with our nearly 14 year old, if she goes to a friend’s house? I’m walking to the door with her every.single.time. Not being able to go somewhere with a friend because I don’t know or haven’t met the parents is probably the most aggravating to our girls. Well, too bad because Tony and I run this show, Kids!

So there you go. Three reasons why we are the Meanest Parents Around. I have the trophy on my shelf to prove it.

Although we don’t let them charge their device in their rooms overnight, we don’t let them have that device during events (or at the table, for that matter), and we always meet their friend’s parents? We do let them eat off of the floor. So there’s that.