Do things right the first time!!

John Wooden says "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"   I found myself saying something very similar to my 13 year old son today as he was hurriedly trying to get out the door to go "hang out" with his friends.  My simple request of taking care of his dirty clothes was completely overwhelming to him apparently because of the gasps and heavy hmmmffff sound that came out of his mouth.  He VERY reluctantly picked up one shirt and one sock off the floor leaving the other sock and pair of shorts in a heap by his bed.  After he came running back past me with a "Oh, I hope she didn't see those shorts" look on his face... I asked him to once again take his dirty clothes to the laundry chute.  I know I shouldn't be surprised by his reaction, but I was.  "MOM!!  I don't have time to do this!!  My friends are out there waiting for me." You would think by 13 he would understand that I kind of mean business with my requests??!!??  I merely told him that he needed to take the time to do things right the first time and just think of all the time he would have had!!  This is the same principle with homework, or laundry or dishes or a project for science.  DO THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!  In the long run, think of all the time you'll save!!  

WORDS CAN HURT!!

This week is "NoNameCalling" week. (Check out this site for some great resources  http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home.html)  To some of you that may mean nothing, but to those of us who have a child who has been effected by bullying, it means a lot!  There is nothing worse than seeing the hurt in your child's eyes.  As adults, we know that once we have actually let the word escape our lips, it can never be taken back.  Take the time, and ESPECIALLY this week, to think about the words you are saying to your children or even your friends!  Mother Teresa said it best  "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

New Ezine!

We just sent out our very first Ezine Article!  We are going to be doing this on a monthly basis covering issues facing our teens and their families today.  If you have anything you would like us to touch on PLEASE let us know!  You can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ParentResources.  We LOVE feedback and would LOVE to hear from you! Follow us for daily parenting advice... we all know we could use that!!  Feel free to comment and give your 2 cents.  We love 2 cents!!    :)  Thanks again!!

Dan, Jillian, Natalie, and Karen