Being a Mom

Have you ever thought about being a mom? (Ok guys, maybe you haven't, but you have one and might be married to one. Work with me here.) This thought came to me when I was doing the laundry the other day, and I also thought about Mayhem #1 going off to college. She's done the laundry before, but does she REALLY know how to do the laundry? I don't think so. I thought about when she reached first grade and we bought her a lunch box. A few days before school, I realized to my horror she had no idea how to open her thermos. We had a few practice sessions and things were ok.

As moms, we can't assume the kids know how to do things. Sometimes it's easy to forget to teach them something because I've been doing it so long it's second nature. In a way I feel like I've been a mom since I was twelve. My mom worked two jobs seven days a week. I made sure my older brother got out of bed in the morning, which usually meant I took him a Coke while he was still in bed. I fixed lunches and dinners. A few months ago when I was out of town, my girls were having major league stess over making their lunches for school. Anyway, my point is that I've done house work and cooking for what seems like all my life. I have to remind myself that they haven't. The last few years they have been so busy with school stuff that I haven't really made them do much around the house. Sometimes it's "Easier to do it myself" if I want a job done right or sometime this year.

We moms need to remember that our goal is to work ourselves out of a job. Our kids need to be able to go out in the world and take care of themselves. I'll always be their mom, but I shouldn't always have to think for them and tell them what to do.

This is a little introspective, but I won't be surprised if this kind of thinking happens a bit more between now and next fall.