Extracurricular Balancing Act
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Just me on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:30 PM
Yesterday was “one of those days”. Busy with work, tired from a full weekend, and burdened by a heavy “to do” list, I glanced at my phone at 1:38 pm and saw the following text:
Forgot my flute. Can you get it here by 2:00 for rehearsal?
The kid in question, the flute-forgetter, is old enough to know better and too old to be bailed out. But because I love him and could think of nothing more refreshing for my soul than the sight of smile on his face in the middle of the afternoon, I dropped everything and drove across town to deliver the flute, arriving just in the nick of time.
With that golden smile still on my mind, pulling out of the school parking lot and onto the major street to head home, I picked up my ringing cell phone.
“Mom, it’s Eric. I forgot my bass - can you get it here by 4:00 for jazz band?”
No, I’m not kidding! Two kids, two forgotten instruments, and one mom who spent the better part of the afternoon “bailing them out” when my head told me I should be teaching them a lesson! My heart, on the other hand, didn’t mind the time spent in the car or the sight of their faces in the middle of the day. These days, with both of them active in high school, I’m lucky to see them between the hours of 7:30 am and 6:00 pm.
But two forgotten instruments in one day is the sign of a family with a bit too much on their plate these days. So I’m pondering today how I might simplify life a bit in the next month, when my own personal schedule will have me busier than ever. We had a long discussion last night about personal responsibility and consideration. Both have sworn to mend their bad habits…we’ll see how that goes.
How about you? Are your kids involved in a lot of extracurricular activities? How much responsibility do you place on them to take control of their stuff, their schedules, their timeliness, and their attitudes? Do you limit activities, or have you been guilty—as I have—of over committing and then feeling overwhelmed by it all? I’d love to hear what’s working for you in your homes as we anticipate Spring sports seasons.
p.s. That cutie in the photo is future Olympian and my precious nephew Evan, whose Mom has the balancing act pretty well figured out!
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