“I hate homework,” my youngest exclaimed as she had to write her spelling words twice for homework.  “Sorry, but everyone has to do homework some time and your time is now,” I replied, with a smile to ease her troubles.

Yep, it didn’t work.  She began to get frustrated, she started to hurry, and her work got sloppy.  What was she in such a rush for?  Playtime.  My kids know the rules, no outside fun until homework is done.  Not like she had that much work.

She continued to hurry, so I told her to slow down, take her time, so her work was legible, which of course she had no clue what I meant, I rephrased, “Slow down so your teacher can read your work.”

My baby, my big first grader, turned to me with those beautiful, big brown puppy dog eyes, “But mom, it’s gonna snow soon and we won’t be able to play anymore.”  OK, where in the world would she have gotten that idea?

“My teacher said winter is around the corner, so I need to play now before it gets to the corner.”  She was off, finished spelling, she left her paper for me to review and with a stunned look on my face, I realized that my first grader just got me.

It is funny, realizations that we go through as parents.  I laugh at little remarks like this, as my children’s funnies as I call them, keep me young and entertained.  Parents smile daily!