They're all good kids, none of them took the Uni route, none of them have been in trouble with the law (sailed close). Happy with their life choices, partners, jobs or lack off, no real complaints, a few niggles, but in general, all is good.
Could I have done things differently? Of course I could. I could've shouted less, nagged less, let them join all the clubs they wanted, attend all the parties, given them more pocket money, let them stay up later, but this could've made a huge different to the outcome on where they are now, their happiness and their futures. But there are things that I did do, that I didn't need to do, that wouldn't have had a negative impact on their lives and could've saved me, as a parent, an awful lot of stress and they are:
- make the kids keep their bedrooms tidy
- bake cakes for birthdays and school fetes
- join the PTA
- attend school fetes, book fairs and volunteer to read in school
- ironed school unifrom
- sewed name tags on sports kit
- washed football boots
- sat and watched every sporting event they took part in
- attended school assemblies and presentation evenings
- insisted the boys had their hair cut
- encouraged them to play a musical instrument or join any club they really weren't interested in
- insisted they had part time jobs
- stopped them from having a TV in their rooms until they were 14
- Ironed clothes
Are there any things you did or do that you think with hindsight maybe weren't/aren't that important in the great scheme of things?
