The Obama’s Strict Rules for Sasha and Malia

I just finished reading the article titled - The Obama's Strict Rules for Sasha and Malia on Yahoo.  As a parent of a two and a half year old and a baby on the way, I am always looking for new strategies on how successful people are raising their kids.

There were highlights in the article for me with some additional commentary -

1. The girls have to write reports on the places that they travel (even if it is not required by the school) - Sasha and Malia get to have experiences that none of their peers will ever get to have.  They should give something back for having those experiences which makes it seem fair that they have to do some additional work as an expression of gratitude for what the experience that they have.  If a kid gets a special advantage, then it is good to strike a balance and have them have to work for it.

2. The girls have to play two sports (one that they choose and one that is chosen by their mother) - This one is interesting. I am all for Sports for my kids and am lucky enough that I get to choose the sports for my daughter right now.  I think it is important that they are always involved in a sport for the sake of learning competitive skills.  However, if my daughter has a specific desire to focus on one sport or a specific skill that would allow her to excel in that sport, I think I would rather have her focus on one sport.  On the other hand, if she is a good athlete, or even a very good athlete, then the two sport policy makes sense.

As I continue to type, I am starting to have an emotional reaction.  I do not think that I want my daughter to have rules around what she participates in.  Having a rule that she should participate in sports to learn certain skills is fine but I would rather teach her decision making skills and let her pick her own sports.  I can have input and influence but I believe she will do better if the ultimate decision is hers.

3. Quitting is not allowed - This is strong and this is powerful.  I guess defining quitting is the very key for me.  Maybe, a model where you must finish where you start is a better way to put it.

I admire the Obamas (or at least the public perception of their parenting style).  They have rules set out and whether I decide to implement those rules for my family or not, the fact is that they are out there and they are clear.

That is the biggest lesson that I took from this article.  Have the rules and guidelines clear so that my kids understand their boundaries.

 Original Article Posted in - The Obama’s Strict Rules for Sasha and Malia