I had to lay the mom ‘smack down’ wednesday night on my 12 year old, who’s realllllly good at procrastinating, stalling, and batting her eyelashes to get me to NOT get mad at her for things she should be doing. For example, clothes being hung up. She hasn’t hung her clothes in forever. Her floor isn’t her closet, nor her dresser, and yet those beautiful clean folded clothes are scattered all over the floor like litter. Not to mention, the big ‘Homecoming Dance’ tonight she’s been looking forward to and won’t stop talking about for WEEKS now. So I asked her sunday night. Hubby asked her monday night. We both asked her tuesday night. So wednesday came around, and clothes weren’t hung. So the bell rung for Round 1, and I said in my calm, mom tone, that if her clothes weren’t hung by Thursday night after school, her bed made every morning, and things done like we ask in a timely manner, she wasn’t going to the dance. Her sweet smiling eyes got big as saucers. Whaaaaaaat? I don’t yell, I say it in a straightforward way. She knew I meant business. Round over, mom wins!
This morning the alarm didn’t go off. I got up with a start at 6:38 freaking out because I had to do her hair, along with being the day of the dance, its also picture day. I got up, ran downstairs, and met her to do her hair and drive her to the busstop in the pouring rain this morning. Came home to turn off the light she left on in her bedroom to see a gleamingly made bed, clean floor, and a note at my feet.
“Mom, I am downstairs getting ready. My bed is made and your coffee is ready. (heart with arrow that says love in it) Christina. P.S. It will be ready when you get down here.”
Love that child more and more each day hee hee. But second round goes to her.
It’s just too bad that in order for good things like making your bed to be remembered, other things need to be forgotten… little unimportant things like her lunch… her picture money….. her backpack….. 😉
Score Mom 2, Christina 1
Mom wins. AND I get to drive her stuff to school. I should get another win for that one 🙂
I’m sure to have the same issue with my dd. She loathes cleaning her room at 6, and she’s not the most organized by nature. I know she got that one from hubby. LOL! I love the way you handled that! I’ll have to put that in my tool belt. But, she’s a cheeky one with the coffee and everything! How funny.
The little boogers know how to make us softies don’t they? Good for you for putting your foot down. I think the calm “Mom” voice is much more threatening than yelling. Lets hope her newfound attitude lives beyond the dance.Mom 3 Daughter 2 <-- had to give her an extra one for the coffee. Nice touch! 😀