Opposite idiom for putting my foot down
I got stumped when trying to write the opposite of "putting my foot down".
As an example i'll give some context. I said: "In these instances I always put my foot down, but you make me X", where X should be the opposite, i.e. something like "lift my foot back up" or "act in a way contrary to my usual firm behavior in these situations"...
What should X be? (it does not have to be an idiom, but one would be preferable)
Aside from No More Secrets' excellent suggestion, "cut someone some slack," there is "let it slide," which means not to oppose something that may be objectionable but that (apparently) is not intolerable. Christine Ammer, The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (1997) discusses "let slide" in an entry for "let ride":
let ride Also let slide. Allow something to be ignored or to take or continue its natural course. For example, Bill disagreed with Mary's description, but he let it ride, or He had a way of letting things slide. The first term, alluding to things moving along as though they were riding a horse or vehicle, dates from the early 1900s; the variant, using slide in the sense of "pass by," dates from the late 1500s.
I find Ammer's decision to equate "let slide" with "let ride" somewhat unsatisfactory. To me, the essential image of "let slide" is "let go downhill"—that is, allow to happen for the worse—which "let ride" doesn't suggest at all. Usually, when you let something slide, you are allowing something below the normal standard to occur, often because you aren't willing to put your foot down about upholding or enforcing the standard in question.
Other expressions that may work in certain circumstances are "fall asleep at the switch," which applies to cases where a failure to put one's foot down can have calamitous results (the original reference is to a railroad switchman in charge of switching tracks that trains run on), and "let the inmates run the asylum," which refers to ceding authority to individuals who need supervision but are instead left to supervise themselves (the reference is to an insane asylum).
"Cut someone some slack"
informal Allow someone some leeway in their conduct -- Oxford Dictionaries
"Ease up on someone"
to treat (someone) in a less harsh or demanding way -- Merriam-Webster
If you never put your foot down, you could be acting as a doormat (figurative meaning) and letting someone walk all over you.
Probably not what you wanted but I couldn't resist the foot-related opposite :). EDIT: all those comments and no-one thought of it :).
To put your foot down is to insist on having your way in a situation where you wouldn't otherwise. It illustrates the act of taking a stance to resist some force being exerted on your body by planting your feet firmly.
You could say the opposite action would be relenting and letting whatever may happen, happen.
I wanted to put my foot down, but her argument convinced me to relent.
Similar idioms include:
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going with the flow, which literally describes the act of allowing the forces of a river or wave you're standing in to move you rather than fighting to remain stationary.
I normally have to put my foot down when I'm uncomfortable, but today I decided to go with the flow.
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giving in, which describes collapsing under the force of weight.
I'd put my foot down, but I had to give in when I saw that look in your eye.
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caving in or caving, which also describes collapsing under weight.
I'd have put my foot down, but my hunger made me cave to his will.
While the answers are good suggestions, I would like to propose roll over as the ideal idiom to use as it implies that the person is totally complicit in the request as opposed to putting their foot down, or protesting after letting something go and/or not noticing the thing that was happening.
Roll Over
To consent or comply passively or without protest; acquiesce: "You shouldn't just roll over and give in when your kids want something!"
To paraphrase your sample sentence:
" I always put my foot down, but this time you got me to roll over."