Sigh.
Sometimes MamaBear thinks that life would be ever so much easier if Free Will was totally removed from my kids' vocabulary.
Wouldn't that be a blissful paradise indeed?
Instead, let's see…I could replace it with:
"Do what you're supposed to do without fail so I can finally slow down the generation of grey hairs on me head!"
Alas, 'taint a'gonna happen.
This morning, HS1 unwisely chose to engage in the Battle of the Breakfast with me. I'll be writing more about that when I auto-generate an extra 13 hours today.
Anywhos!
After surviving that delightful interlude of ungodly character-building-ness, it came to pass that he possessed only 4 minutes to get ready for school.
I noticed that he was letting his office mutate once again into the Land of the Sullen Swamp Creatures, and told him (note: I did *not* ask):
- "HS1, neaten up your office. Now."
My ever-lovin' son replied:
- "But Mommmmmmm, I have to get ready for school!"
My reaction:
- "Not my problem. Do it."
His response:
- "But Mommmmmm, I'll be late!"
My reaction:
- "Yes you might. That's not my problem. You know you're supposed to keep your office neat. Do it."
His response (my gosh, this is the stuff of epic Hollywood motion pictures like:
(Btw, does anyone remember seeing the original (ho ho) skit on Zoom back in the 1970s?
But I digress. 🙂 )
- "But I'll be late!"
At this point, I reiterated his responsibilities and walked away.
HS1 began cleaning, and finished it within 2 minutes. He was ready for school on time.
And how can you apply this to your kids?
Think about….the moral of this story.
Somethings….are debatable.
Other things….are required.
And if you fail at taking ownership of your responsibilities, unless there's a darned good excuse like you fell into a black hole and only recently returned home…
You deal with the consequences.
Period, end of statement ("you", of course, being your kid). Remember, you do your child a great disservice if you let them get away with shirking their responsibilities, and/or trying to burden *you* with ownership of *their* problems.
I do have to admit, however, answering everything with:
- "Not my problem!"
…It did highlight to HS1 that I refuse to take ownership of his responsibilities. They're *his*, not mine…and as such, he must rise to the occasion.
So, if you see me today, feel free to ask what's my problem.
Or not. 🙂
What's some of your parental nicknames?
Parent Powerfully,
— MamaBear
