When I tell Charlie to do something, I want him to do it right away unless there's a good reason.

The reason is his safety: when we're walking down the street and I tell him to stop, I don't want him to decide whether or not to listen to me. I want him to stop right away, so he doesn't run out into traffic (which is a daily concern for us, since we walk to his daycare every morning and evening).

So when we're out and about, I want Charlie to be extremely obedient. When we're at home, it's less pressing but still a good thing I think. That said, I do want him to grow up to be an independent thinker. I guess I'm not sure how to balance this all just yet!

How obedient do you want your LOs to be? How do you balance obedience with having your LO grow up to be an independent thinker?