Way to go MamaBear! I commend you for refusing to coddle your Bear. A lot of folks would say you have every right, after what she's been through, but you are doing more to strengthen her for the future than kid gloves would ever do.

My hubby's sister survived childhood leukemia, but his folks excused her every behavior until she was in her 30s, and she manipulated at every turn. She finally got clean of alcoholism and drug addiction because of her tough-but-loving husband.

Why is it that so many people today think that toughness and lovingness cannot co-exist?

In our house, whininess has zero tolerance. My 6 year old son has already heard "Buck up" and "Man up" enough to thoroughly engrain it in his cute but carping little head. We don't expect him to be perfect, but we do expect him to do his best to improve.

Awesome thread title.

That is all.

Along a similar vein.

Made me chuckle.

LOL.. This is would be something we would tell our children. My hubby and I are all about taking responsibilty for your own actions. If you are good at something, but someone else is better, then I guess you need to work a little harder. At the the same time, even if you still come in second, as long as you have given it your 120% then you are still doing good. We also want them to grow up with good sportsmanship.

As others have said, parents nowadays want to coddle their children. Then the same parents become enablers when their children develop bad behaviors/habits. And then, those same parents say, I don't know why they are the way they are ...prime example, my mother-in-law with my brother-in-law.

I am totally down with that. Totally.

Here's another thing -- it's important for kids/people to realize they aren't going to be good at everything and in life they need to give their best effort to everything they do, but when it comes to making choices if they will choose to play to their strengths and natural aptitudes, they will go farther and will have more success.

So true.

That's awesome.

And I think you and your hubby are related to my parents (even outside the whole twin thing).

ETA: when I was 10 or so and whined to my dad about not making the gymnastics team, he replied, "If you want to compete, pick a different sport. Or for that matter, pick one sport and stick to it. You do too many to really be competitive in any one. You have to focus to be good."

I am constantly telling my kids that if they want to be better, play more, score more points, whatever, that they need to get off of their butts and go outside and practice. At the same time, I don't want to be that drill sargent dad that pushes their kids so hard that they end up hating everything. There is definitely a fine line there.

While there certainly are "kids" that need to be coddled, there are some adults that need to be coddled as well.

will you coddle with me?

Get a PM!

like Todd Marinovich's dad?

this isn't a PM!?

Remember that show - "Major Dad"?

wait a minute...are you telling me that playing FIFA 2014 on X-Box will not make me a better soccer player in real life? That is just wrong...i've got a lot of time invested in that game

Interesting. Care to expound?

I prefer to put on my Kitten Mittens for these people. There soft and cuddily and make you feel all nice and fuzzy inside.

So true! I call it handling them with "kid gloves" - especially when it comes to co-workers. I like "kitten mittens" though!

That's exactly who I was thinking of.

Whit is a FIFA 2014?

Wait a mintite...What is an X-box?

PS4 will be out in a few weeks

I still use this old fashioned stuff called the "outdoors" and "my body".
Call me a radical......

thumbs and fingers is where it's at

I can't believe Happy referred to football as "soccer".

GD - I simplified for those who struggle with international terms...much like when in France you need to order "le royale" instead of a quarter pounder...and you'd never order an American breakfast in England...