Okay little People ... time to pick up the slack ....

Me: "Safari, could you please put all these markers and paper away so there is room to eat supper?"

Safari: "No thank-you Mommy."

ummmm .... okay?

So we have been going on quite a few play dates.  I am learning A LOT from other peoples children.  I hear things coming out of other people children's mouths that sound like this:  .... "Here is my plate Mom" ..... "Is it time to pick up our toys now?" ..... "Mom, can I do a chore so that I can play video game?"
....Where did these parents find these small. freaks. of nature?

A friend tells me "well, he lost his video game privileges because he wouldn't clean his room".  WHAT?!? That is Unbelievable! He sometimes cleans his own room?!?

Alright.

So I have thought it through. My children are 7 and 4 and I think I may have already broken them.  Before you have children .... nobody EVER warns you about how easy they are to screw up! ..... I am pretty sure they have learned more about putting their own things away from the dog - Nova - than from me. Seriously. Draven discovered when Nova was a puppy - if he didn't put his aquadoodle pad away - she would aquadoodle on it. No need for the pen. And we have plenty of Barbies that look like they have been in horrific industrial accidents.

So now I am trying to fix it. Working hard at introducing more responsibility into my children's lives.  It would be sooo rewarding ..... if it wasn't sooo ..... brutally..... flippen ......painful.

Me: "Draven, take your clothes to the laundry please"

Me: "Draven, did you hear me? take you clothes to the laundry please"

Me "Draven, have you taken your clothes to laundry yet?"

Me: "Draven. Clothes. Laundry. Now"

Draven: "Do I have to do EVERYTHING around here?" - picking up socks like they way 50 pounds - dropping them into a laundry basket - and flopping to the floor in exhaustion.

Good job buddy! You're awesome .......... such a good helper .....

.......... kill me.