The kids did not clean up the basement. Today, they had to clean up. We all got into cleaning the house. We all worked together today. It takes all of us. The kids are old enough to help out around the house.

These are skill that they will need when they are on their own. In order to be able to function, they will have to have order. There is no order in a house that is not clean. When things get too far, it takes too much effort to clean up.

Everyone wants a clean house, but no one wants to put in the effort. Taking care of everything is draining. If we divide up the chores over time it all gets done in an orderly fashion. Divide and conquer makes clean up a lot easier. It builds their character and is good for them. They learn that not everything will be handed to you in life. You have to work for what you get. You have to clean up before you can play.

That is what they want for dinner. I do allow sweets. I like them too. I can’t say no, when they see me eating them. This is the true test of parents. If you want your kids to act or behave in a certain way, you have to model that behavior for them.

If you eat ice cream, cake, brownies, candy, and all those sweet confections, you can’t tell your kid not to. I am guilty of this. I think it is not wise to tell them they can’t have something. I think it may make them want it more.

If I show them that I am not eating those things then they will be less likely to want those things. If I don’t buy them, then they won’t have them. I won’t be tempted to eat them either. It is a dilemma. However sweet, it is still a dilemma. It can be fixed. I just have to say no to my cravings and show them how to do it.

The kids are enjoying a favorite treat, this evening. Popcorn is one of their favorite snacks. They can help me make it. They are tall enough to reach the stove. They enjoy making their own food. That is a trick I use to get them to eat their own dinners.

If they take part in making something they know what it takes to make something. They also have a sense of accomplishment. They learned a new skill. They know how long it takes to make something. It has taught them patience.

They are watching a movie. They are quiet. Their mouths are busy snacking on the popcorn. This is a happy time for them. They are content. Having accomplished something and getting to watch movie as a reward, is something they cherish. We also get to figure out what we want to accomplish tomorrow. It makes them happy to have some responsibility.

The kids still want to be by Mom and Dad from time to time. I admit that I love it. I don’t mind when the kids get scared and want to be comforted. I like being there for my kids. Who wants their kids to have nightmares and to be frightened?

It is quality time that I get to spend with my kids. I may be missing out on some sleep here and there. I can catch up on that later. I will not be able to catch up on other moments that matter.

When my kids need me, I want to be there for them. My daughter told me that she does not want me to die. She would miss me. I don’t know what brought that on. However, I just snuggled her tighter and told her that I would miss her terribly, so I don’t want to go anywhere either. Moments like those are precious to me. I don’t want to forget them.

The kids have done their homework. Their bellies are full. They are winding down. Getting ready for the next day. They know what to do. There was a time when I used to watch their every move. I would not let them out of my sight. They were so little then. Now they are grown.

The don’t need my help as much. When they do need my help, I hesitate to help them. I want them to figure some things out for themselves. If I am too quick to help them, they will not try to figure out what needs to be done. I want them to make the effort. If they put in a good effort, and still can’t figure it out, I will help them.

Most of the time they can figure out what needs to be done. If they can’t I don’t give them hints. I will ask them questions to help them arrive at the correct answer. Next time they may not need me to help them at all. The idea is to build up their critical thinking skills. If they are hungry after dinner, they know where to find things. If they want more information, they know I will ask more questions to help them think about it.

The kids were busy playing all day yesterday. I was not able to spend as much time with them as I could. They made a huge mess. They did not clean it up. We will clean up the mess again. It takes the entire house to clean up that mess.

They had fun while they made that mess. Then they look at it and realize that it is so big and it will take a lot of effort. I get to tell them that I will help them take care of this. It goes faster when I roll up my sleeves and pitch in.

It will take time to clean up this mess. It is not the first time they have made a mess like this. It will probably not be the last time they will make a mess. It has taught me a lesson. They want to spend time with me. Either I spend time with them or I spend time with them cleaning up messes.

Today is a special day. We are enjoying a birthday. I got some puzzles and some Legos for the kids to put together. They were thrilled to get those. Then they found I got the Nerf guns to play with. They were happy because, they like to be kept busy. I believe they really do not want to be on video games all day. They do that out of sheer boredom.

They are so engrossed in those things that they did not want to get dressed today. I would rather have them in their pajamas and playing together using their minds and hands to work on little things like puzzles and Legos.

I am going to work with them continuously to help them with these little things so that they can tackle big things. The little things they learn when involved in active play is much more valuable than playing solo on a tablet.

My oldest is getting older. Talking to him can be difficult. He has his mind made up about what he can and can’t do. He is definitely determined about what he would like to be doing. He is getting taller. He has some choices of his own to make. He can articulate exactly what he wants. He can do what he sets out to do.

I want him to be his own person. I know I have to guide him to make the right choices. Being happy is what I want most for him. He smiled today, because I got his breakfast for him. He got home from school and was happy to see me.

It is hard for me to believe that he is older. I remember when he was born. He means so much to me. I want to let him know, even though he is my baby, he will always be my baby even though he is growing up. Most Mom’s feel that way. I make sure I express it to him early and often in small ways and big ways.

The kids look darling in their school pictures. They have some great backgrounds and some awesome portraits. They are behaving in those moments. There are times when they are not so perfect. I admit it. I am not a perfect Mom. My kids are not perfect kids.

They can be really good. When they misbehave, I try to think of other moments when they were really good. Maybe, when they were first born, and they would coo and smile at me. I try to remember how vulnerable and innocent they were.

Now they are not so perfect, as I am not perfect. My parents were not perfect, and neither were their parents. We can learn to do things differently and recognize when we need to be better than we are. Perfect people do not exist,

The kids are not home yet. I have a few hours before they come home. I have to prepare for them to come home. There is a regular ritual for us. I know I need to have some snacks for them. They usually want the same things. They don’t want to try anything different.

There have been a few instances where they wanted to try something new. They have their time tested favorites. It is up to me to break them out of their old routines. I like to help them branch out.

If it were up to them they would eat waffles all day long. Nutrition is a serious matter. I am glad they do like fresh fruit and some vegetables. I have never been one to hide the vegetables in their food. Then they come to resent me when they find out that there are vegetables hidden in their food. I choose to be direct with them. It is better to be honest with them than to try to deceive them, even if it is for their own good. No kidding.