A Three Year Old At Heart

In my vast parenting experience I've found out a few things. One being a preschooler loves to exert her independence. She loves to push limits and discover how far she can go. The world is one big place, and she'd love to be Dora the Explorer...

It's challenging to find the balance of allowing her push all limits, and setting healthy boundaries. The times when she is pushing those healthy boundaries are times when she's confused, often unhappy trying to see if I'm there to enforce what I've said. Conistency is the key in this type of battle. If I say it, I have to mean it, and follow through. While teaching her to stay within these healthy boundaries is NOT fun, many times she fights it, in the end she's so much happier. It's like there is a sense of balance and she knows she's secure.

I think in my own life I've found the same to be true- When things are out of control, and I'm pushing the limits whether its physical (not taking care of myself in food, rest, activity) or mental (allowing my mind to become dulled because of lack of challenges), emotional (allowing my relationships to get off kilter) or spiritual (not taking the time I need to recharge my spirit)- in these times I'm usually unhappy, though often I'm the one in control of these areas allowing myself to get out of the healthy boundaries- I feel so much better when I'm on the track to being the best me I can be, when I'm keeping myself in check and exercising that dirty word: DISCIPLINE. Ouch. It doesn't feel good, sometimes I want to yell and scream and say "No! I don't want to!"- but I'm my happiest and best when I'm living a disciplined life. How about you?