In every household, there are parenting rules and “do’s” and “don’ts”.
We can think of some obvious “don’ts” straight away such as “don’t go out without telling us” or “don’t eat all the cereal”.
But this mum’s list of "don’ts" is slightly different. Mum Toni Hammer wants her five-year-old daughter to grow up feeling confident and empowered. She doesn’t want her daughter to question herself or feel bad about who she is.
So, the mum-of-two wrote her own list of “don’ts” with a twist. Here are a few of our favourites.
The first one reads “Don’t say sorry when someone else bumps into you”. Good advice, we often find ourselves apologising for things that aren’t our fault whatsoever.
“Don't say ‘sorry to be such a pain’. You're not a pain. You're a person with thoughts and feelings who deserves respect”.
We think this is incredibly important, particularly for when her daughter goes out into the workplace and must ask others for help, advice or a favour. It’s important to teach our kids that their needs, thoughts and feelings ought to be respected in both personal and professional situations.
“Don't make up reasons as to why you can't go out with a guy you don't want go out with. You don't owe anyone an explanation. A simple ‘no thanks’ should be acceptable”.
Again, this is something we feel strongly about. We would like our daughters to grow up knowing that it’s ok to say no to a date or someone they’re not interested in.
Many of us have been in a similar situation and no-one should feel under pressure to go on a date.
“Don't overthink what you eat in front of people. If you're hungry, eat, and eat what you want. If you want pizza, don't get a salad just because other people are around. Order the damn pizza”.
Peer pressure can often lead young girls to copy their friends’ habits and forgetting what they themselves really want.
“Don't say ‘yes’ to be polite. Say ‘no’ because it's your life”, Toni advises.
Young girls are often raised being told to be “nice” and “polite” to everyone around them, even if it’s at their own expense.
It’s important for our kids to know they don’t have to say yes to everything that comes their way. Some children find it hard to stand up to domineering friends or peers who want everything their way. It’s ok to say, “No I don’t want to do that”, sometimes.
What do you think of Toni’s "don'ts" mums? Let us know.
