So this is purely just a shower thought, wondering into the void.

After a dinner time struggle several nights ago, I find myself wondering.. what is the reason we as parents enforce certain things? Such as “eat all your food” or no snacks because you didn’t eat your dinner, no toys or iPad at the table, or earning privileges by completing tasks/chores.. I mean even things such as “because I said so and you have to listen to me”. I get things like safety, well-being (don’t run into the street and you have to have rest time because they’re growing, etc) and health. But some behavioral or just daily things..

While as adults, literally none of these things translate to our lives. No one is policing whether you stay up until 2 am eating chocolate cake because you didn’t want to eat kale and salmon for dinner (no hate because kale and salmon is one of my favorites), I leave dishes in the sink while I watch a show or skip laundry or vacuuming because I’d rather go to the book store. I don’t eat sitting down near and tidy up at the table because I go back and forth between all sorts of things (chores or enjoyable things) No one demands my submission and compliance, even as a wife and SAHM, and honestly I don’t want my kid’s growing up just falling in line like a bunch of weak-minded zombies. And I don’t mean this in a problematic way. Like I said, please no hate because I’m just thinking out loud.

So i guess I’m just curious, because I enforce these things out of habit and societal norms, but then kind of reflect like what is the actual goal here other than making parenthood easier, but this seems to accomplish the opposite. But even beyond this when you think of successful people in the world… it just doesn’t seem to reflect these things.