...and a little child shall lead them.

I am NOT good at mornings.  Rolling out of bed in time to get Anthon off to school is about the best I've ever done...until lately.

I was getting tired of telling the kids every night what they needed to get done before bedtime, and it finally occurred to me that if I gave them a list that they could understand, and a deadline, that, with proper motivation, they would probably get it done without me having to remind them.  So, I made them each a chart (each of their charts is different, which was another recent realization--why make their charts the same when they each have different capabilities?  Anthon can read, for instance, but Erilyn can't.) and told them I'd be sitting on the couch ready to read stories at 7:30 and if their bedtime stuff was done, they could join me.  If not, then no stories for the night. Fortunately, the possibility of no stories was motivation enough for them and bedtimes have been a DREAM.

Their charts...

I also gave them morning stuff to do.  And they're supposed to have it done before 7:00, which is when we're supposed to have family scriptures, and before they can eat breakfast at 7:15.  I presented this to them on Monday, as part of family night and even though I told them we wouldn't be starting it until Tuesday, they both did their bedtime charts on their own.  The first day, Tuesday, I rolled out of bed at 7:15 prepared to skip family scriptures again for the sake of time (it's easy to do when you're not immediately accountable to anyone; the kids are..er...were...unaware that this is supposed to be family scripture time) and met Anthon in the hallway.  He was dressed, pjs put away, bed made, prayers said, backpack ready, even teeth brushed, and was looking at me expectantly.  He said, "Are we having family scriptures?"  ?!?!  Oh right...I put it on his chart.  What am I supposed to say to that?  No? Well, I couldn't.  And to my credit (I'd like to think), I took his cue as an opportunity and we had family scriptures and family prayer that morning.  True, Anthon ate toast in the car for breakfast, but he was happy to do so, and I felt good about starting his day in a good way.

(I love the way Erilyn makes her bed--she did this all on her own before I had a chance to teach her anything!)

 (I made Anthon a blanket that matches his night table and a rug he has, but he loves this dinosaur blanket that Kirk used as a kid. I can't get him to use anything else!)

All week long, he was finished with everything he was supposed to do by 7:00am, in time for family scriptures, and we had a great week.  Even Erilyn made her bed all by herself every morning.  She stacks all her stuffed animals by her pillow...so cute!  It brought me to tears the other day thinking of how my children have lead me to be a better mother.  It is they who remind me of what's important.  They have taken the responsibilities I've given them seriously and fulfilled them all beautifully all week long and in so doing have encouraged me to take mine seriously and fulfill them.  I am so grateful for their example and to see them grow and learn.  It is a joy I never dreamed of but one I enjoy fully.