Could I have come up with a longer title for this blog post? I don’t think so. It’s a gift.
A while ago I wrote about how I I never had any control issues before I had kids. I’ve been thinking about that more lately as I’ve found myself feeling very tightly wound. I am stressed out. My house is messy. The laundry isn’t folded and put away. The kids’ stuff is laying around the house. The dishes aren’t clean. The clean dishes aren’t put away.
Do you know what would help? Having my children take responsibility for some of these things. Logically, this make sense. If they do it, I don’t have to do it. In theory. But, when I think about it, I see a big chasm between the point where I do the tasks to the time when my kids can do it on their own without me. I don’t want lazy, incompetent children, but some days it seems like so much work and my desire for things done RIGHT NOW overrides my desire to have competent children.
(photo from the movie Mom’s Night Out)
I KNOW! What mother prioritizes neatly folded and put away clothes over her children’s ability to function as a useful member of society?
With that in mind, I’m going to take you on a journey with me this month as I work my darndest to let go of things so my kids can do some learnin’.
Are you with me? Do you have things you needs to let go of and allow to be a little messy while you teach your kids some life skills?
My kids are pretty independent but not because I’ve let go of my perfectionism. I’m too lazy to help them so they just learn to do things on their own! 🙂
There are probably a few life skills I do need to teach/show them without my particular brand of perfectionism attached.