Facing an Evil Dragon: Procrastination

After three months of being away, I finally went to another Weight Watcher's meeting today.  I wasn't intending to skip, but I missed a couple right before we went on family vacation because I was getting everything ready.  Then we were an hour away from the closest location for two weekends.  I had to help get everything unpacked; my husband was going out of town the next weekend; date with hubby....  Before I knew it, June and July had passed me by and my WW schedule flew the coop.  But I'm back :)

I got home at 1:00 to find that my children had not eaten lunch yet.  See, they were supposed to clean up this mess they had made in the hallway around 11 and just refused to do it.  So, mastermind that he is, my husband said, "No clean, no eat.  Just clean up this mess and you can eat."  The kids hemmed and hawed and went downstairs and helped themselves to a bowl of cereal each.  He saw this and told them that since they decided to eat that, no lunch....until they cleaned the hall.  Now to be completely fair, the mess he was referring to was a small array of plastic children's tools consisting of nuts, bolts, toy pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, and an apron, all of which fit neatly into a toolbox.

How long does it take three children, aged 3 1/2 (he'll be 4 in October), 5, and 6, to clean that up?  Evidently it was very tiring work, because come 5:30, it was still there.  It was a nice little cycle.  They complained that they were hungry, and we reminded them of their responsibility.  We decided not to yell, fuss, or nag them about it, but to let them figure it out on their own that actions, or lack thereof, have consequences.  A part of me wanted to give in.  I thought to myself, "How cruel is it to make them go hungry?"  "Their poor little tummies are starving.  Just let them eat and then they can clean."  But we had been through that before, and come bedtime, the mess had remained.  Besides, I reminded myself that there are so many people out there that eat only once a day, if that, for years, because they just don't have access to food.  They eat regularly, 3 meals and 2 snacks, every day, so I knew that one day was not going to cause any real damage.  So I bucked up, stood firm, and let them know I wasn't backing down.

5:45pm.  They come back.  They're hungry.  They're whining, and they still have not cleaned the mess.  I sweetly tell them that if they want to eat today, they will have to clean the hall.  5:50.  They bound down the stairs and ask me to come look because the hall was cleaned.  5 minutes.  5 minutes!  All that fussing and complaining and it only took them 5 minutes.  6:15, they have pizza outside picnic style; they eat apples and drink some milk and play, enjoying the outdoors.

Procrastination is the enemy, I want them to understand!  I wonder where they get it?

I heard it said once that children will draw a mother to her knees.   For me, it's true, and I'm grateful.  The characteristics of my children that bother me the most are usually the faults within myself, and they are a perfect mirror.  I have to get away from them for a few minutes, go down on my knees, confess my shortcomings and pray for help so that I can be the mother my children need, and the living example they can follow.