Yes Kids, Mommy is Psychic.

I don't know if I put my kids in therapy for the rest of their lives or just awed them but when my kids were little and when they were teens, they thought I was psychic!

What I was, was a mom who got to know her neighbours, her kids teachers, the other mothers at the school, her community and especially each and everyone of my kids friends and their families.  I had a spy network that made the Kremlin look like amateurs.

Hubby and I made sure that everyone knew that these were our kids and if they saw anything they thought we should know about, we would be happy to take it as constructive criticism and we would never tell my kids who told us.

It helps that the Mountain Man is a shameless, harmless flirt and always takes the time at the local stores to notice if the cashier has a new haircut.

So one day, Breyan decides he's going to take the new skateboard and ride down the middle of the street with no pads or helmets.  By the time he got home, I had received three phone calls.  One from my pharmacist who had been leaving his store when he saw him.

Breyan walked into the house with his skateboard under his arm and his helmet and pads on, (sneaky kid.)

I advised him he was grounded off the skateboard for two weeks.

After the normal, "What do you mean.  I didn't do nothing," argument he finally asked me. 

"How do you know these things???"

I answered, "I'm psychic."

When you think about it, it's a brilliant strategy.  One I'm sure my son will use with his kids. 

There are few options for disciplining kids these days and it's even harder now than when my kids were little.  Now I don't go for the willow switch type thing but ask ten women if there kids has ever said, "I'm gonna call the police for abuse."  Most of them will say yes.

It's harder for me and Mountain Man because while he is Catholic, I'm not and we can't use the God is watching you! threat.

And don't give me these parental magazine ideas of "positive reinforcement."  I've read those articles, (my favourite was the one that says you should explain to your six year old that your family is like a corporation and that Mummy and Daddy are the CEO's. To a six year old?)

For those things to work you have to have a child who is smart, pliable, respectful etc..or on drugs.

Yes positive reinforcement has it's place but after they are twelve, forget it. 

Italian mother guilt, now that works forever.