Yea, and you probably drink and smoke in front of them as well...scarred for life, they don't stand a chance...seek counseling now.
Yeah, I'm a real hardass. I let them shoot my guns, and have swordfights with real swords. And I make them endure cold, wet weekends on mountain trails and sailboats, and do chores, and earn their own money. And if their grades drop below A's and B's they have to endure long, loud lectures from me and do physical labor. And if they sass their mama they get a quick demonstration that dad studied various martial arts. I'm a hardass.
Funny though, everybody tells me I have terrific sons. Polite, they say. Generous. Humble. Take the initiative. Smart. Look out for others. So they're surviving despite my manifold incompetence.
or because of it! I remember when my 30 year oldss were 25 years younger, I was shopping with them in a supermarket. They started to act up, i quietly counted "one, two..." and they stopped fooling around and sat still in the shopping cart. Another parent came up to me, and asked how did I get them to behave on a quiet One, two? I told her if you get to three, you have to spank them.