What is the Vew From Your Child's Eyes?

Yesterday my 13 year old daughter , Aly came to me and asked me if she could write something for the blog. I said, "sure" and about a 1/2 hour later she handed me a one page paper titled In the eyes of an Accountable Kid. It was interesting for me to see my teens outlook on chores and responsibility because some days I am wondering where my happy, sweet child went. She has hit the age where I am no longer "cool". How did that happen? She now rolls her eyes at me and when I tell her something she says, "I know mom" and finishes off with an exasperated look. I often wonder if anything I am saying or doing is touching her heart. Now don't get me wrong, Aly is a great kid and she has a heart of gold, but some days her hormones are overriding her brain.

This blog entry she wrote reminded me that deep down she has learned valuable lessons about life, family, and character. There will be days, maybe years, where she may hide beneath the "teen facade" but a foundation has been established for her build her future. Our family isn't perfect. My kids whine, complain, and leave their dishes on the counter waiting for the maid (like we have one) to clean up after them. But, Accountable Kids has given us some consistency amongst the chaos. Aly's letter reminded me that she is paying attention to what we have been teaching her and she is seeing the good in the organizational system in our home.

The other thing that Aly's blog brought to mind is the power of sitting down and writing out your thoughts. So often our kids send text messages or quick e-mails. They are not encouraged to ponder and map out their thoughts and then write them down for all to see. It made me realize the power of concentrated thought and expression. Have you ever asked your kids what they thought of Accountable Kids? What is the value of all of this to them. Are they learning anything that will help them in the future. What is the view from your child's eyes?