There are many, many days when I feel that I am an inadequate parent. I let them watch far too much TV, I contribute to their poor health by feeding them convenience foods, and I am convinced that they are the only children in America who aren't allowed to have LEGOs. Today, though, I have two reasons to hope that I haven't ruined them yet:
1) M is cleaning her room. True, she was sentenced to solitary confinement to do it, but she is actually cleaning. I fully expected her to lay on her bed reading all day because she has shirked her responsibilities in this manner before. If she actually finishes her task before bed tonight, I will poke ABM with a hot metal rod if he doesn't tell her she did a good job. He is so accustomed to her messing up that he fails to praise her when she gets something right.
2) C1 asked to partake in an activity that didn't involve the TV, Gamecube, or computer. She wanted to make a God's Eye. Thanks to Google, I found assembly instructions and she got started right away. I steer them to electronic entertainment a lot because I know it will keep them quiet and I have been more tired that usual lately. However, I am discovering that one of the benefits of having all my kids out of diapers is that every once in a while I can start them on something and they can entertain themselves (at least until the arguments start). This week on a no-TV night, C2 and DJ sat with me in my room and did puzzles from Games magazine and Highlights.
See? They may turn out OK despite my lax parenting.
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