LATE..........AGAIN

I have tried everything under the sun to get our children off to school on time:

1. Waking them up super early.
2. Threatening.
3. A sticker chart with rewards ($1 store) if you get a sticker every day that week.
4. Take away allowance.
5. Praise.
6. Completely ignoring the fact that it is taking 30 minutes to get dressed and letting them be late for school.

You name it.

To be truthful..............it is just Tori that is the problem. Not very often do Leroy and Christian need reminding to get on their way.

So Papa came up with a new rule yesterday. He just happened to be home when the children left for school. Bubby usually is off to work by the time the kids have to leave. I think he was amazed that I told Tori to put her shoes and socks on 40 minutes earlier, and she still hadn't completed that task. The boys had already left and here she was..........la dee da, trying to find her shoes.

NEW RULE: If you are not ready to leave, shoes on, backpack on, homework packed blah blah blah by 7:45am, you have to go to bed an hour earlier then everyone else that evening.

This I'm sure, is just torture to the kids. You put them to bed five minutes early and it is the end of the world. Oh, the injustice of it all!

So after explaining the new rule to the boys this morning, they were all for it. Leroy was nervous and kept looking at the clock, but they both left on time. Tori is another story.

At 7:15, I asked Tori to put her shoes and socks on FIRST so that it wouldn't slow her down later on. At 7:42, she still didn't have them on. At 7:45, Tori was brushing her teeth. At 7:49, Tori was brushing her hair. At 7:53, Tori started telling me a long and involved story as she was walking out the door. I interrupted her and said:

"Tori, you are late for school again. It is 7:53, that is 8 minutes after you were supposed to leave."

Tori: "Oh, okay Mom. I'll tell you the rest of the story when I get home." (Singing to herself as she is walking down the front steps.) "Oh......Mom?"

Mom: "Yes Tori."

Tori: "Do I have to go to bed early today?"

Mom: "Yes Tori." You were supposed to be ready by 7:45. The boys have already left for school."

Tori: (Tears immediately falling down her face.) "I tried really hard to get ready."

Mom: "Sorry. You know the rules"

I know for a fact that Tori didn't try really hard to get ready! What the heck is going through that twisted little pre-teen mind? If I think it is bad now, I can't imagine what it will be like when she starts putting on makeup, and picking out that "perfect" outfit for school.

Boy oh boy.....are we in trouble!