"Your mom is a bad parent"

Today Nolan was very stand offish with me.  I could tell he was upset with me and it became very clear that he had negative feelings towards me when he refused to ride his bike beside me at lunch -he didn't want to talk to me.  I let it go, but all afternoon I felt upset.  

Nolan came home from school today and as he was eating his snack he said, "Kerin thinks you are a bad parent.  He doesn't think I should have to do my homework or a job every day.  He told me how I could sneak out of the house".

One of my greatest fears as a parent is that I will raise kids who are unable to do for themselves.  Who reach the age of 18 and don't know how to clean a bathroom, wash their clothes, make and follow a budget or understand that getting what you want means hard work and sacrifice. 

Because I stay at home, I have a tendency to think - well, I'm home, I can do everything.  Not to mention that is it 10 times easier to do it myself then to get a 5 yr. old to make his bed, pick up shoes and hang up his coat and to sit patiently as my 8yr. old trashes about because he has to write a book report using correct punctuation, capital letters and coherent sentences.

Spence and I took a parenting class at church and one of the quote given to us said, "The definition of a lazy parent is a parent who does for their children what they can do for themselves".  I've tried to implement this philosophy.

I feel defeated tonight, but I think I'll choose to wear this little criticism as a badge of honor. 

I'm trying my best to raise competent young men who will someday be good missionaries, husband, fathers and priesthood holders; if that makes me a bad mom, so be it!