Single Mom & Raising Boys

I was a single mother of three boys for seven years.  Raising boys without a father in the picture can be pretty tough.  I decided to be more of a father figure to my boys.  I took them out to play sports,  I didn't baby them when they got hurt,  and I would tell them to get up, they're okay if they fell down.  Being a mother is the easy part because it comes natural, but trying to play a father role takes hard work and discipline on your part.  So, I made sure that I was very strict and when I threatened to ground them, I always followed through.  This was probably the toughest thing to do because as a mother, you tend to give in and avoid the power struggle.  But I can honestly say that my rules and discipline paid off!  If my sons disobeyed or stayed out later than the curfew I set, they would be grounded.  I would mark the date on the calendar and they would know the exact day that they were off of restriction.  This enabled me to stick to what I had said and left no room for giving in and shortening their time.  I only had to follow through a couple of times before my threats of grounding were all that they needed to hear, because they knew I meant it.  If I can give any advice to a mother, it would be to set rules and folllow through while your children are young.  You will save yourself a lot of trouble as your children get older.  They will know that not only do you love them, but that you care enough to set boundaries.  In return, you will receive their love and just as important, their respect!