It's not only about choosing your weapon, it's also about picking what battles to fight

By all accounts, I'm a pretty strict mom. Loving, but strict. I expect my kids to mind and behave. I don't like seeing out of control kids in public and always refused to let my child (any of the three!) be one of those kids. But, the older they get and the older I get (not that I'm getting old.. lol.. I'm holding steady at 27!) the more I realize that it's not always just about discipline... sometimes it's about learning to let go. I've come to understand more that my child cannot always control his behaviors and it's okay for people to give me the evil eye.. heck, I can give it right back. My son looks totally normal and I know people don't understand that he in fact does have some issues that cause his behavior to not be easy for him to control. Because of that, there are some battles that are not worth fighting. Sometimes being strict on things only makes the situations worse, not better, and has the opposite of the desired effect. I have to stop myself now before forcing an issue and ask myself "Is this really worth the battle? Is this important enough to follow through?" Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

I do NOT, however, excuse bad behavior because of his issues. I understand the behaviors and am learning what he can and cannot control, but that doesn't excuse every bad behavior. I still have and will always have high expectations of him. I think very highly of my son and see that he can do great things and grow to be a great man. I refuse to expect less of him because it's shortchanging him. He's smart and handsome. If I expect less and lower the bar, he won't reach his full potential. It's all a balancing act.. what's worth it and what isn't.

Every single situation is different. Sometimes the best thing to do is not cause the battle, but find a way around it to reach the same goal without causing a huge tantrum... uhhhhh... what was that called? Ah yes, COMPROMISE! Yes, I compromise with my child. It's an important skill for a child to learn anyways because we all know that compromise is SO important for a good and strong marriage and will benefit him in his adulthood in all relationships. Yeh, he needs to learn to mind and that he does sometimes have to realize that other people have authority over him... including his parents!