Day 23 of our revolution has come and gone … with continued success.

Tonight, I offered a friendly reminder to a couple of the kids that their clothes were on the bathroom floor. I was respectfully zipped (can those 2 words go together?!) and told their rooms don’t get checked until the morning. Details… details… Then one of them came into my room to point out – yes, you guessed it – my unmade bed. I wish I was joking. No pedicure for me this month. Thank goodness Puxatony Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter. Boots can hide my dreadful toes for a little while longer.

So the clean room thing has been incredibly positive. Besides the fact that I can now navigate their rooms in the dark without killing myself on the floor land mines. (Why would I be rummaging their rooms in the dark? Well, because I am an enabler. I actually wake them up every morning. Yes, I have only just realized that I don’t even encourage the use of that new invention – the simple alarm clock. No, I want them to begin the morning being served. I’m even their snooze bar, “Just 5 more minutes — Please?” “Sure, honey, I’ll come back up.” What??!! … That’s going to change! Target here we come.) They are also using their rooms.

The seven year old actually pulled the toys out of the closet and played on the non-cluttered floor with his friend the other day.
The teen was busted doing his home work on his very own non-cluttered desk. Oh, yeah!
The girls? … uh-huh, you guessed it… reading peacefully on their made beds.

Who knew their rooms could be a destination vacation. Okay, the vacation part is for me. Its so nice to have them in another spot besides under my feet. I can’t believe I didn’t start this years ago.

Call me crazy, but I think they are even a little more respectful. Jon contends it might have something to do with my gestapo-type barking of orders coupled with the knee-jerk (and consistent) response, “NO!” … Maybe I’ll get back to my lenient, whatever-goes self, but I sure hope not soon.

Surprise results: I knew they could do it, but I had no idea how well.
Lesson: A kid will jump only as high as the bar is set.

I believe in these kids. I truly think they can do anything they put their minds to… nothing can stop them except themselves. I’m learning that in order for them to succeed, I need to equip and get out of the way. I have got to quit doing it for them. I’ve got to believe in them through my actions, not just my words. It might be painful at times, but the gain is without doubt worth it. Only by working – and all that comes with that (succeeding, failing, learning, submitting, risk taking … the list goes on), can they themselves genuinely achieve and reach their potential.

The beds and clutter are very small baby steps to hopefully years of foundational equipping. Its exciting (and a little scary) as our family embraces this new adventure.

On another note … I’m thrilled to tell you that Chuck Bentley (CEO, Crown Financial Ministries) and his wife Ann will share some of their vast wisdom on teen/tween money management and the importance of work in upcoming Table Talks. I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks for walking the road with me.
-Kay

Teen Trivia:
Did you know…
Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders in history. He was best know for conquering almost all of the world known to the ancient Greeks including Syria, part of India, Egypt, around 300 BC. Alexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedon. By the time he was 16 (yes 16!) Alexander had founded his first colony and named it Alexandroupolis.