What was I doing baking cookies at 6:00a.m.? This is the time I usually pack lunches and make breakfast. Was it because I had frozen french toast and chocolate chip pancakes to pull out for breakfast, so thought I'd make a nice batch of homemade cookies for lunches? No. It was in response to the child who commented at 10:30 last night that she needed to bring 2 dozen cookies to school today. Another child remembered she was assigned to bring a bag of chips. (Reminder to self, buy another bag of chips for lunches.) Normally, I would have stayed up baking late into the night. But with 3 hours of sleep the night before, my brain fog might cause me to add a bag of prunes instead of chocolate chips. So, like any good mom who rushes to rescue her kid, I made cookies first thing this morning.
So when do kids think ahead about what needs to be done instead of waiting until the last minute? I thought back to when I was in 3rd grade. Yes, back in the dark ages. Back when we walked to school, and truthfully it was uphill both ways. (Sometime I'll get photos and prove it.) We also went home for lunch. The poor souls who had to eat lunch at school walked 1/2 of a mile down the road to the high school. That was the only cafeteria.
Each week it was one child's turn to present a science experiement. I recall when it was my turn. I remembered that morning at school. Upon arriving home for lunch, I mentioned to my mom that I needed a science experiment to take back for that afternoon. After eating a bologna & mustard sandwich, my amazing mom helped me put a project together. Not once, but twice that year. Afterwards, she drove me to back to school, since we'd used the extra 20 minutes it would have taken to walk.
So when do kids plan ahead instead of waiting until the last minute? I've had the privilege of seeing my older ones do just that. They grow up and don't need to be rescued. No more procrastination! So when does it happen? Oh wait, it doesn't happen for everyone. You see, I am one of those kids who still waits until the last minute.
5 comments:
Another reason to be glad I homeschool! :o)
No you DIDN'T do that to your mom did you? That is classic.
Joanne, first off, I love your picture. You have beautiful hair!!!
Secondly, you are a great Mom! I'm glad we homeschool so we don't have to worry about any other teacher, other than me, being frustrated if they are procrastinators.
I am seeing my oldest - who is now married - start realizing that procrastination is not a good thing (her husband is a procrastinator, too) so they are working twice as hard to break that cycle.
My 17 and 16 yo boys are getting better each year. Thankfully my 8 and 7 year old girls don't have the problem to any degree close to their older 3 siblings. Hopefully that doesn't appear in them when they hit puberty! ;)
Oh, no! I am laughing at the thought of you springing the science project on your mom at lunch. What a nice mom to do it AND drive you back to school.
And I totally want to see the pictures of the uphill to and from school route.
Ahh, the memories. Gathering leaves for a display for youngest son at 7 pm the evening before the display was due! Bless you and all the moms of the world out there teaching children, rescuing them, baking cookies at 6 a.m.
(I blogsurfed over here from your comments on another blog. Greetings!)
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