Another day...another plan.

This has been a tough Christmas and I'm glad it is over. According to my wise Grandmother (who is now 102 and who told me at a very young age that I "wore my heart on my sleeve" and that it would never do), in the face of the difficulties of my children I now need only hold my head up high and just get on with it... she spoke in idioms and sayings. She would not approve of the way of the world as we now know it... which is tell it all to everyone at any time...preferably electronically and to the widest possible audience. Sorry Grandma. I love you and you gave great advice, but sadly things have changed so much that some of the old rules don't apply... if they did I probably wouldn't be in this mess. All that said, there is still that part of me that wants to basically lie and say, "Oh, everything is just fine... no problems at all... we're all doing so well." If that is what you want to hear, I will be disappointing you, because even if I wish it to be true... it isn't.

Monday is the start of the new regime in my home. We'll see how it goes. Is it too late to effect some changes in attitudes and responsibilities? I will assume it isn't and move forward. My idea is to share some of the load. I work full time+ and have for the past six years. I was a stay at home Mom for the 12 years after my son was born which was a blessing... and a curse. I then worked part time for a few years, while getting a Masters degree, so that I could continue to be available... and enable. As a stay at home Mom I trained my kids to have me do everything. Good job, Katherine. Monday we start over... reset button, please. I will assign nights for the kids to plan and cook a meal. It is a small beginning.

Advice to mothers of children under 12: Do this now... make contracts with your kids and enforce them to the death (well almost death). If you are a single Mom, which I was for two loooooooong years, God Bless you, and make the choice to be strong, and maybe sometimes loathed. It will save you time and pain later. If you are in a blended family (which I am now)I can tell you that parenting may be even more difficult... get professional help when things aren't going well. You are not alone!