SMELLING THE ROSES

As any parent knows, morning life with little ones can never be as normal as the self-help books describe. This morning was no exception. The best-laid plans to get up and get out can fall apart with one morning meltdown. "Mom, he's got more Cheerios than I do!" suddenly becomes World War III as Sergeant Mom rushes her soldiers toward the car, keenly aware of the sound of her manager's (real or imagined) foot tapping at the office door. She's late again.

Did I just describe your morning?

I'm not knocking the experts' advice. It's helpful: lay out clothes the night before, pour cereal, prepare the backpacks. But today's adventure reminded me that the BEST advice I ever got came from my own mother:

* Encourage independence - After leaving my 3-year-old with Grannie one day, I was shocked to discover all the things she'd been hiding from me!! She could put on her own clothes. She could make her bed (sort of). She could take off all her barrettes in preparation for the daily hair battle (I mean, styling). In the rush of making sure everything got done, I'd missed the fact that I didn't have to do it all myself. Thankfully, Grannie's eye was keener than my own. So now, I encourage my 2-year-old to put on his OWN socks. It takes more time at first, but in the long run, you'll appreciate that extra 5 minutes in the shower while they're tying their own shoes and pouring their own cereal!!!

* Enlist a helper - One day I had an epiphany: "If she can squeeze her own toothpaste, she can do her brother's, too!" At that age, they LOVE to feel useful. So now nearly every day, little brother's toothbrush is properly "pasted" and ready to go when I bring him in for the morning dip! Laying out out clothes, helping with hair, readying backpacks -- all great jobs for the eager older sibling. (Unless, of course, you followed the experts' advice and did it all the night BEFORE. Yeah, right.)

* Slow down - You're already running late, so taking 30 seconds to let the kids "wander" past the flowers to the car (instead of forcing the 'march to the minivan') won't really make it any worse. What it WILL do is make for happier kids and a less guilty working Mom. Why? Because while you're at work, pining over the fact that you're not at home with your children, you can remind yourself all day that you actually DID take time to let them stop and smell the roses!

P.S. I'm still working on this one! ;-)

"T"