Hey Moms and Dads:
You cannot rescue your kids from every crisis. As a matter of fact, you don’t want to. Sometimes they need to suffer the consequences of procrastination and forgetfulness. That’s really the only way they will ever learn to plan ahead and meet deadlines.
But once in a while, it’s wonderfully satisfying to play the role of hero. This sneaky plan makes it remarkably easy for you to earn hero status. Next time you’re at a Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, or discount office supply store, spend about twenty bucks on a nice set of colored markers and a half dozen assorted poster boards. Then hide them. Behind a sofa. Under a bed. In a back closet. And forget about them.
Sometime this school year, your son or daughter is going to come to you as bedtime approaches with a slight look of terror on their little face. “I need to make a poster that’s due tomorrow.” Maybe it’s for a last-minute student political campaign. Maybe it’s a visual aid to support a speech they wrote a week ago. Maybe it’s one of those fun easy projects that got set aside because the young scholar had been concentrating efforts on more difficult assignments. In any case, they know they blew it. They know it’s late. And they know you are their only hope.
You could say, “Too bad, too sad. Hope you learned your lesson.” You could race to the 24-hour drug store across town and pay triple for some bent white cardboard and boring markers. Or you could magically produce the exact right supplies from your hidden stash.
Your child will be amazed and grateful. Frankly, you’ll feel pretty good about the way things worked out as well. Nice job, heroic parent of the year!
FYI: More of this kind of quirky insight for parents can be found in more than a dozen of my books.
Keep at it,
/jay
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What’s Up with Jay?
Hoping to give my crowd-pleasing and patriotic presentation on “Happy Semiquincentennial, America!” a few more times before the end of America’s 250th birthday year. If you’re part of a group — library, Kiwanis, Rotary, school, church — I’ll be glad to stop by for a lively reading and author Q&A, for a modest honorarium. Text 630-373-7899.
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