Boundary Boss

I don’t make threats. I make promises and consequences.

Some days, being their nanny feels like managing a tiny, unpredictable universe. My sister and brother-in-law both work full-time, so it’s usually just me and the kids. We’ve built our own rhythm, a kind of unspoken dance between chaos and calm.

They know the rules. They know what Teetee will let slide, and what means business. I don’t yell (until I have to), I don’t bargain, and I don’t bluff. If I say, “Argue about TV and we don’t get TV. Push them again and we’re going home. Wipe your popsicle on the couch and it’s gone,” I follow through. Not because I like being the enforcer, but because they need to know I mean what I say.

It’s not always easy. Some days test every ounce of patience I’ve got. But I see the payoff in little ways; the calm after the tantrum, the apology that comes unprompted, the way they pause before doing the thing they know they shouldn’t. They’re learning that boundaries aren’t walls, they’re safety nets. And if they carry that lesson into life, maybe they’ll never mistake love for chaos.

Boundaries teach kids how to trust you and themselves.