Reflecting on her parenting journey, Rosanne Cash shares her most pivotal rule: no juice after 5pm! Establishing clear household rules is crucial, as they provide structure that children might not appreciate now but will value later. Winging it seems easy, but can lead to chaotic situations. Dads are encouraged to define expectations, enforce them consistently, and explain the reasoning behind each rule. Creating a fair and logical framework paves the way for a positive upbringing, turning chaos into clarity.
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Rosanne Cash on Parenting
Rosanne Cash, in her memoir Composed, discusses parenting young children.
She wishes she'd implemented more structure and rules, beyond her "no juice after 5 p.m." rule.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Establish and Enforce Rules
Establish clear household rules and expectations for chores, behavior, and habits.
Enforce these rules consistently, ensuring everyone, including yourself, follows them.
insights INSIGHT
Rules Provide Structure
While "winging it" seems flexible, it requires constant decision-making.
Consistent rules provide structure, though kids might not appreciate it immediately.
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In 'Composed', Rosanne Cash shares her personal story, weaving together tales of her upbringing, her relationships with her family, and her career as a singer-songwriter. The memoir offers a candid look at her life, including her struggles and triumphs, and is praised for its honesty and engaging storytelling. Cash also reflects on her musical journey and the lessons she learned from her father, Johnny Cash.
In her memoir, Composed, Rosanne Cash talks about how she wished she was as a parent of small children and how different that was from the reality. She recalls that her biggest rule ended up being no juice after 5pm. Why? Something about sugar before bed. In any case, although she knows she did the best she could, Rosanne looks back and wishes she had imposed more structure, more rules on her young children.
That’s something we have to think about as dads. Part of the job of a parent is to come up with the rules of the house and to enforce them (and for them to make sense too!). Winging it might seem better, except that means you’re judging every situation anew—deciding in the moment what to allow and what not to. Letting things slide might seem easier, but the chaos that flows from it is much more difficult.
So what are the rules of your house? What’s expected of your kids—in terms of chores, behaviors, and habits? What’s forbidden? What don’t we do in this house? Are you firm about the rules? Do you make sure everyone follows them, including yourself? And then, crucially, what is the logic behind these rules and can you explain them in a way that gets real buy in and understanding? A father is not a tyrant...but a person who makes arbitrary rules without explaining them is.
Create some rules. Stick to them. Be fair about them. Your kids might not love them now, but when they look back on their childhood, they will at least be grateful for the structure and the clarity they provided.
The Daily Dad 