Crazy or Lazy?

Note: © Copyright 2007 Greg Williams

Life has a way of sorting things out for you.

Since going back to school, I've had to delegate a lot of things in order to not lose my sanity.

Four years ago, The Boy was 10 and Precious Preteen (this is the name she gave herself, by the way) was 6. (Wow...allow me to pause on that fact for a moment. Four years ago, my babies were babies!)

Despite the fact that my children were, what I consider, young, they had to take on certain responsibilities.

Could I have done it all by myself? Absolutely. And a part of me wished that I could. But I couldn't and now looking back, I'm glad I didn't.

Stacey, over at I'm a Lazy Mom considers herself a lazy mom. Furthermore, she encourages other moms to be Lazy Moms as well.

Obviously, her suggestion is a tongue-in-cheek reference because a Lazy Mom is anything but lazy! I wrote about Stacey here.

Since this week seems to be a week of reflection for me, I've decided to reflect on the positives my circumstances have created in my children's lives:

• The Boy has (somewhat) mastered the art of doing dishes.
• Precious Preteen has joined him in the kitchen this year and together, they wash dinner dishes.
• The Boy has successfully learned how to do his own laundry. (Bonus: This week, he took initiative to do it without being told!)
• Precious Preteen is just starting to learn how to do her own laundry. (I will be posting ideas on how to make chores easier for the younger crowd).
• Despite being a somewhat fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type person, I have maintained somewhat of a routine for the kids. They have this routine memorized and are usually pretty autonomous on Saturdays (the official Chore Day).
• Except on Tuesdays, which are busy scout days, we have a set After School routine which the kids have pretty much adhered to after getting off the bus.
• Over the past four years, my children have matured incredibly well. Sure, this probably has a lot to do with time, but four years ago, I was doing a lot for them. The choice to go back to school forced me to allow them to do things on their own. My choice to go back to school has prevented me from being a helicopter parent.

So, while occasionally, I am wracked with Mommy Guilt, seeing the fruits of the kids' labors eases it a bit. Seeing sites like Stacey's helps me realize that allowing kids to do for themselves is a good thing. As a parent, sometimes it's hard - especially if one plays into the gender stereotypes. But despite this pull to do everything, doing everything does nothing for the child. It forces to the man-child/woman-child to learn on their feet when they enter the real world.

With so many obstacles facing us in life, why wouldn't we choose to give our kids this little leg up in responsibility? 

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