Married With Children

By me and my husband being raised a few miles away from each other we were raised in different ways.



I was raised with my two older siblings and little brother, sheltered with sort of a strict schedule. Dance practice, school, homework, boys and girls  club, karate class, dinner, sleep ... repeat. I was picked up and dropped off. Only allowed to go into someone else home with my parents permission, could not leave off the block unless I was accompanied by an adult, and was rarely left with someone who was not a family member of some sort. On weekends time was spent at my grandmothers house or with a friendship club Mother Grenade created.



My husband was raised as the baby of his family with his three older siblings whose mother worked nights and raised them to be more independent. His schedule consisted of school, homework, then playing outside with his friends, dinner, sleep ... repeat. He was able to go off his block and to the store on his own and was often sent by his mother, he was allowed in other people home and often his mother thought he was one place and he would be in another. He took public transportation on his own and walked to school on his own.



Though only a few miles apart our lives were completely different the only thing that was the same was the neighborhoods we lived on everyone knew everyone however our parents still had different ways of acknowledging that.


Now that we are both married we have two children that we are raising and often there is alot of conflict in regards to what our children will be allowed to do when they become older. Will they be allowed to walk a few blocks to school, can they go to the store on their own, will they be in organized sports, how will we handle punishments all the way to who will have permission to date and at what age.

We both instantly went to how we grew up and saw parts we disliked and liked. Some parts of how we would raise our children were so different and neither of us was willing to budge. We both came to the conclusion that WE were not our PARENTS. We have the chance to do how we please with our children and hope that it will be a great turn out like we believe we were.

As different as we were raised ... we have the same values and that is the number one thing that we both agree on with our children. Humble themselves and work hard for the things they want in their future. Take responsibility for your own actions and always remember that no matter what you are family.

Readers, what do you think about being married with children??? How would you or have you handled it???