“Anything goes” is not good for kids. It can be too much freedom and not enough limits and safety for them.  Think about whether you experienced “anything goes” as a child.

Did you have chores you were expected to do?  Were rules enforced in your household?  Were you often saved from feeling frustrated, disappointed or paying consequences for mistakes?  Were you excused even when you were at fault?

If you think this was your experience, know that parents who take this approach do so out of love, often not realizing how important it is to balance their love with strong expectations and protective limits.

Knowing your parents did the best they could with what they knew and understood, you can decide to take a different approach with your children without disrespecting your parents or your childhood.

If you decide you did not experience “anything goes,” celebrate that you had balanced love in your life, love that offered rules to keep you safe and secure and teach you responsibility because they were enforced.

You can decide you want to take that approach with your children too. Think whether your rules are appropriate for the ages of your children and whether you enforce them as needed. Be sure to review your rules often to be sure they are changing as the capabilities of your children change.