Filed under: discipline, homework, humor, organization, Parenting, stress, Teenagers | Tags: family, Humor, parenting teenagers, stress, time management, transitions
As our family adjusts to our new life of Scott being gone for the weekdays, I have discovered in a new way how much he did to help around the house. Yes, he was my laundry angel and we for sure miss that but it is the millions of little things you do not realize the other spouse does, until things start to fall apart that ran so smoothly before. Scott is constantly in motion, and he picks things up, recycles, makes sure the kids get wood and a fire is going, always throws the coffee filter out after making coffee, locks the door at night and turns the lights off.
Now none of these things are any big deal, but when nobody picks up the slack little things become big things. I have found myself a bit stressed out and constantly nagging my four teenagers. We seem to have a case of the “not me’s” Have you ever read that poem? Here it is to remind you, by Charles Osgood.
There was a most important job that needed to be done,
And no reason not to do it, there was absolutely none.
But in vital matters such as this, the thing you have to ask,
Is who exactly will it be who’ll carry out the task?
Anybody could have told you that Everybody knew
That this was something Somebody would surely have to do.
Nobody was unwilling; Anybody had the ability.
But Nobody believed that it was their responsibility.
It seemed to be a job that Anybody could have done,
If Anybody thought he was supposed to be the one.
But since Everybody recognized that Anybody could,
Everybody took for granted that Somebody would.
But Nobody told Anybody that we are aware of,
That he would be in charge of seeing it was taken care of.
And Nobody took it on himself to follow through,
And do what Everybody thought that Somebody would do.
When what Everybody needed so did not get done at all,
Everybody was complaining that Somebody dropped the ball.
Anybody then could see it was an awful crying shame,
And Everybody looked around for Somebody to blame.
Somebody should have done the job
And Everybody should have,
But in the end Nobody did
What Anybody could have.
I needed a plan of action, a way to reduce the nagging, but still get things done. I came up with the my “New Rules for Family Peace.” I typed out a list of things that would be changing. Spelled it all out clearly, and had each of my four children read, and sign it. I then told them, they would also be getting a list of individual guidelines for things that pertained just to them so the whole nobody, everybody, anybody thing would not happen. I was very proud of my self and the kids had been very open to the rules.
I am just about to pat myself on the back, when Isaac my oldest and most literal child comes in to get a snack. One of the new rules was “There will be no food in the office, only drinks.” It had become a garbage pit of food and half eaten snacks and I’d had enough. He looks at me, and says “Oh yea, I can’t have this in the office anymore.” I smile and say thanks for remembering. A shrug of his shoulders, and a small smile as he then grabs the chair from the office, sets it outside the door and eats his snack in the hallway.
Another rule was that any clothes that are washed must be put away before going to bed that night. This picture demonstrates how that went.
Until we no longer need a fire to heat our home, wood will be brought in and the wood bin filled at all times. All four of you not just John.
Now to be fair to them, I did say these rules would start after their semester ended and finals were over. I am hoping next week will be different. I am going to re-vamp the rules so that Isaac can not find the loop-hole(at least on the first day) and we will try again. Thank God it is Thursday, I am blessed with the day off tomorrow and tonight I will be meeting a girl friend for a drink. I hope nobody tells anybody.
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kariskhaos 