When they are little, it is relatively easy to set the limits we need to protect our children. It was not necessary for me to have a degree in rocket science to know that putting a bumper on the cribs of my twins would protect them from hitting their heads.  As toddlers, safety locks on cabinets were the logical solution to ensure they kept all ten fingers intact, while installing gates seemed like the obvious thing to do to prevent them from falling down the stairs. As they grow older, however, I sometimes wonder if being a rocket scientist would be easier than being a parent!

Even when we know where to set the limits, like knowing that ice-cream should not be substituted for milk in the morning, setting them is sometimes just as challenging.  Sticking to them, however, is where things really get sticky!

What I have found, as a mother of three teens, and having taught parenting classes for over fifteen years, is that understanding the importance of why I am doing something makes the follow-through so much easier ...