My kids say "So much mischief, so little time!" Mine is "get the hell outta my kitchen!" (They're 2 and three and are still home all the time. They drive me crazy!"

I hear you, Leslie--and LOVE your personal parenting motto! As a mom whose kids are older than yours, I guess I am more focused now on the "wings" part of the equation while you are still immersed in the down and dirty of laying down roots! But I remember well the days when my kids were always underfoot, in the kitchen and elsewhere, and they were, ahem, "challenging" (though fun) to say the least. Thanks for reading and writing, and good luck with that dinner thing! Cheers, Laurie

I am trying my best to let my child have his wings but this seems to involve constant phone calls form school because he does his homework and forgets to turn it in or today it was forgot to have me sign a test from school the worst part the test was a B so made no sense that he would forget I hear form folks its the age he is 12 But when can I hope for common sense to kick in

Hi Melody and Terri,
Yup...I wondered the same thing about when those "wings to fly" (and self-sufficiency) were going to make their appearance when I was raising a 'tween. Keep plugging away...the good news? It comes, eventually. Thanks for reading and writing! Cheers, Laurie