Ah-ha! Darn.

You know those 'ah-ha' moments that Oprah and people like her talk about? Those moments when something you didn't know before suddenly becomes stunningly clear?

Well, I had one of those moments tonight.

I was picking up my children's discarded coats from the back hall floor and I asked my ticked off self, when my kids would finally be old enough to come in the door and hang their coats up themselves.

And then I thought to myself, they probably won't do it until they have to pay for their darn coats themselves.

Ah ha!

I think I'm right.

I'm sorta depressed by the thought mind you, but I think I'm right.

Is nine years old too young for me to force my child to get a job to pay for her own clothes?

I thought so.

Sigh.

Comments

[Holly (me.)]

This very evening I stood in the kitchen staring down at the floor. Satring at the floor because my 9 year old's jacket was lying in the middle of the kitchen floor. Why? I do not know.

[Michele]

Must me something in the air, because I too was thinking this very thing last night! Weird.

Then, I realized that the day will come way too fast, when my house is empty, and I'm old and alone, and wish for the days when I had little coats and mittens to put away ... lol

Hope you had a wonderful New Years Day!! ;)

[jen]

I try to remember that they'll be gone someday and I'll miss the coats on the floor, but I am deeply distracted by THE COATS ON THE FLOOR. And the muddy shoes. And the toys. And papers. And books. I figure they'll get it someday. Sigh...

[Madge]

i just had a moment like that. while putting some towels away in the bathroom closet i saw the toilet lid left up yet again. this time instead of muttering and putting it down i questioned all three men in the house until i found the culprit and made him go back and put the seat down.

something tells me this is going to take a long time -- to get them to learn this.

[Anne]

My husband doesn't always hang up his coat either so it may never happen. I keep hoping but I won't hold my breath.

[Sandra]

It really doesn't seem to matter with my 17 year old - she buys all her own clothes which she feels gives her the right to leave them anywhere she wants. Have you ever watched "Hoarders" on A & E? I told Allison if she didn't get herself organized that's what she would turn into. She became quite angry with me and then went and cleaned her room... Ha!!!

[Beth (A Mom's Life)]

My kids come in from school and drop their coats and back packs and kick off their shoes. And every day, I remind them that they are supposed to put them in the coat closet. Every. Day. It gets old.

[Elle]

I don't know how I accomplished it, but out of 4 children, my 11 year old is the only one who hangs up her coat. The rest leave them where they took them off.