When no means ignoring moms with a smile

What is it about little ones and their determination to do the things that you don't want them to do? I mean how can you look at that sweet innocent face grabbing the blinds or eating dry dog food exploring their surroundings and be stern and have to count to three or even worse swat his hand. It is tough, but has to be done in order to let him know that there are boundaries if they are at home or visiting friends. Consistency is key and that is the worst part and we are only 9 months into this.

The hardest part is trying to decide what is within those boundaries and what is outside of them. I don't want to be so restrictive on him that he isn't able to explore his surroundings, but at the same time I want him to realize that he cannot go places and touch anything he wants to just because it is within his reach.  So where is the fine line and how do we walk it?

Is this one of those things that parents work their way through with time or is it instinctual? He is very responsive with the counting, but I fear the more the countdown to one... two... three... happens it will begin to wear thin and not be as effective.

I don't want to be a hard ass with him, but I am adamant that he will be respectful in public and treat his elders with kindness and dignity. I don't like some of the younger generation these days... they are disrespectful and rude and run all over their parents. I don't think it is a good idea to have children see their parents as their equals, I think children should have to work for what they want and understand that things in life are not free. I want him to have a better life than we have had, but he needs to understand that he must be responsible and work for everything he achieves, because it means more to us as parents and more importantly to him.

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Give us your feedback...