Am I setting good limits or am I being too naggy?

[sunnydays]

No you should not just let it go! I don't let them go in my garden or pick my flowers either (my DH would freak as he works hard on his garden). I think kids need to learn that the cannot just do whatever they want. I have a rule in my playroom for example that they cannot bring ride-on cars on my area rug...this is my quiet book area and I want the kids to be able to lie down on the rug and look at books without worrying about being run over. So I am constantly saying "No cars on the rug", which sounds silly, but I have my reasons If they don't listen, I take the ride-on car away. I think you will need to set some consequences for disobeying so that you don't have to nag all the time. If they can't play nicely in the area you ask them to stay in, then they should sit out and not get to play at all. I do this at the park too if they try to leave the area I have told them to stay in...if they do not come back immediately when I ask them to, they spend a good long time sitting in the stroller watching their friends play. It works well!

[Judy Trickett]

I think kids need to learn that the cannot just do whatever they want.

DITTO!

Life is full of boundaries. Boundaries are virtually everywhere you look. As an adult I must stay on approved boundaried areas for driving. I must use the "in" door and then the "out" door. I must use only the "1-12 aisle" if I have only under 12 items. I must stay in designated "parent" areas of the school grounds. I must wait in the waiting room when I have an appointment until called upon.

Life is full of boundaries and kids need to learn these when they are young. We are preparing them for the real world and that means that, YES, we are gonna be giving them lots and lots of never ending direction in the forms of, "no, stay off, get out of, don't touch" etc etc etc until they learn some self-control and some critical thinking skills that enable them to decide when it is and is not appropriate to touch, go on, or do something.