Some old, some new, but here they are-- A Mother's New Year Resolutions. I will not scold happy noise. I will use the TV as a babysitter-- rarely and as if it costs $10 an hour. I will give my kids a 1970's summer. I will, without apology, be the nutrition, grammar, hygiene, wardrobe, curfew and screen police. I will, without apology, require uncompensated help around the house. It's called being part of a family. I will, without apology, put my husband's and children's ambitions before my own. I will, if necessary, fight the screens to the death (the screens' death, that is). I will not tolerate disrespect in any form, be it back talk, sighs or the rolling of eyes. I'm the mother. I'm the mother. I'm the mother. I will not be a helicopter mom. I will not be a tiger mom. I will be a balanced mom. I will keep in touch with my girlfriends. We need each other. As I enter a new parenting season and (after 28 years) leave the baby years behind, I will strive to run my house properly, resisting the temptation to eat bon-bons on the couch. I will allow my kids to get dirty, get hurt and make mistakes. I will take a nap everyday. I will put my phone down. I will pick my kids up. When the younger generation is jumping off a cliff, I will not pack my kids a parachute and tell them to be careful. I will, instead, remember what my mother asked me: If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you jump off a cliff, too? "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward." Psalm 127: 3 Nine out of ten Sims kids in a pyramid --Happy New Year! |