Ten Things Tuesday

Ten things my mother wouldn't let me do as a kid.

1. Play in the church yard across the street with the neighborhood kids without supervision.
As a parent now I totally understand this one. The kids in my neighborhood are freaks and I definitely don't want my kids playing with them if I weren't out there!
2. Sleep in on Saturday mornings.
This still agrivates me to this day. She still calls me way to early everyday and it pisses me off! I feel guilty for sleeping in because of this.
3. Take Drama my freshman year of high school.
Well I don't think this effected my life much, but I wish she had let me make my own decisions.
4. Go to Laura May's birthday party in 8th grade.
I was so mad, but it probably was a good thing since the girls ended up getting drunk that night.
5. Leave campus for lunch during high school.
Now just because she didn't LET me didn't mean I didn't do it every now and then. I know now that it's safer for kids to stay on campus for lunch. When my kids are old enough for this to be an issue I hope I can come up with a happy medium for this rule. I want to teach them to be responsible and not need me or someone else to watch them every second.
6. Eat candy.
Of course this was when I was very very young and I think it's a good idea.
7. Participate at a modeling agency.
I was so mad! I had some much fun and one time she called the agency using the WRONG phone number and got an escort service. She INSISTED there was something bad going on and made me quit! Not that I would have ended up as a model, but I always wanted to try at least!
8. Go to the Homecoming dance Freshman Year.
She grounded me for doing something. I spent most that year grounded. I think she over-reacted a lot. Not that I was perfect, but she expected perfection. I still feel the need to be perfect in front of her.
9. Walk or bike ride home from elementary school by myself.
Thinking about it now I'm glad she didn't! That would have been a long walk for a kid alone! It would have been long period!
10.Go over to friend's houses.
As a little kid I was able to go over to a few people's house. Select few, but that's just good parenting. As I got older and able to take myself to friend's house she just stopped letting me go. In stead of teaching me to make right decisions and hang out with good people she just put down her foot and said no. To everything. So I acted out just to show her I could.

My mom was a great parent. She was REALLY GREAT when I was little but as I got older she just kind of lost it. I understand that being a single parent is hard and I know I was not the easiest adolecent to raise. However I am going to strive to give my children a few more freedoms and help them learn to make decisions on their own. Perhaps if she had done this with me I would be able to make a decision without her permission to this day. It's very sad that I feel the need to run everything by my mother.