Reply #6: I enjoyed them when they were little, but I LOVE my empty nest

[SoCalDem]

i think with so many parents working away from home so many hours a week, parents feel guilty when they do NOT take the kids, but when Mom & dad are not the ones "teaching" them the daily manners, it's easy to see what they may not behave that well

I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home , so when we went out we usually got a sitter without a pang of guilt.

When we DID take them, the rule was.. act up ONCE, and we are outtathere:) After a few times of leaving , they got the message. We always let them pick out their dessert FIRST, but if they misbehaved, we cancelled it :evilgrin:.. To get dessert, they HAD to be quiet during dinner.