“Mom, we’re out of printer paper!” Darling Daughter number one (DD1) called out. “I’m ready to print now. My paper is due TOMORROW.”
That last word was a bit of a shout.
I walked over to her printer. I noticed that the paper tray was actually empty. I checked the other printers in the house and the storage cabinet. Yes, we were indeed out of paper.
(What ever happened to that huge cache of office supplies that we bought at the beginning of the school year?)
I looked it my watch. 9:05 p.m. … That meant that I had less than an hour to get to the office supply store before it closed. With a sigh, I headed out the door.
Once again, I had been blindsided by a last-minute school project.
My question for you today, WritingThoughts readers, what do you do when your child informs you of a crucial school project at the last minute? Do you rush out the door to buy whatever they need?
(The “need” has been everything from a football tee shirt, to poster board, to candy corn, to an actual can of corn.)
Or, do you tell your child to plan better and tell you sooner next time?
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
4 responses so far ↓
1 Robert Hruzek // Oct 25, 2007 at
Well… I’m no mom (nor am I a dad), but I think I’d do both the first time it happened (and perhaps the second time, too). But after that, well…
What if you give a child the task of keeping (and reporting) your inventory of supplies? That way you would be teaching them a useful skill and (hopefully) avoiding the above scenario.
Ah… isn’t hindsight wonderful? (Not to mention “back-seat” driving!)
2 Tammi // Oct 25, 2007 at
LOL! This just happened inn my house last night. The difference is that my husband was looking for paper so he could print “Chuck Norris Facts”. Don’t ask.
I’m with Robert. Try both; get the stuff and remind them to be better prepared next time…At this point, you might want to create a space for the kids to list supplies they need for upcoming assignments. I am dependent on lists.
3 Lori // Oct 25, 2007 at
No, I rushed out the door. I gave her a lecture as we BOTH went (why should I be the only one inconvenienced?). When she learned to drive, she’d just jump in the car and get it herself, but before that, oy!
4 Lisa T. // Oct 26, 2007 at
I’m not a parent, either, so you can take my advice for what it is. Baby Boomers tend to spoil their kids endlessly, and as a result, our kids lack coping skills for life’s problems.
I’d do it the first time, taking the child with me. But putting her in charge of the school supplies list sounds like great advice to me. Kids have to learn from their mistakes, or they’re just going to repeat them. Constantly. Making your life hell. Or at least, inconvenient.