I have witnessed other parents go through a variety of reactions to their baby’s or toddler’s wandering hands, from actually hitting a child for innocently touching their genitals to a mortified: “How could you?!” Gee, how could they NOT? Come on ... they’re babies, they’re exploring world and themselves. Where is shame, guilt or horror in this? Only in parent’s and other adult minds, that’s where. How on earth would a baby or young toddler assume that touching a part of their being is bad, evil, shameful or humiliating unless their significant care taker tells them so, whether in words, actions or obvious distress over situation?

This brings us to probable conclusion that our kids will grow into adults feeling ashamed, guilty and weird about their sexuality if we, as their predominant instructors of life, teach them to feel bad about their natural curiosity.

I certainly understand that some adults are just not comfortable with this parenting issue or, down line, discussing sex in a logical and rational way with their questioning adolescents. A good plan would be to enlist help and guidance of a trusted family member or child’s pediatrician. Better yet, parents who feel uncomfortable should discuss this with their own doctor, trusted friend or family member and then have a back up plan to deal with issue when it arises, which it most definitely will.

A potential problem I see occurring when children don’t have their own money is a possible desire to steal, be it from their parent’s wallet or something cool they feel they have to have from a store. Without ability to “earn” or make money fairly, they might feel only way to attain something they want is to take it. Naturally, we teach our children that stealing is wrong but when kids, or adults for that matter, feel helpless they tend to take morality into their own hands. Besides, kids need to learn fiscal responsibility. I think earlier we allow them to experience rewards and triumphs of good spending habits, better judges of value they will become.

One controversy is paying children for doing chores. This is a tough call. I have just begun implementing mandatory chores in our home. Considering it’s never been one of my better parenting abilities, I’m still struggling through details. I have been known to threaten their allowance if they don’t do their chores but it doesn’t really work way I want it to. My older daughter decides if it’s “worth” it at that point and that’s not point at all, is it? So, I’m backtracking on this one and being firmer about chores just getting done and trying not to threaten their livelihood.

I think allowance is a great teaching tool when given in spirit of generosity and practicality. It’s never too early to learn or teach responsibility and when we consider that allowance is a good math lesson, we’ve just added to our children’s knowledge base considerably.