Attentive or Attritive Parenting

While I've been at this for some time, I don't usually think of myself as really losing my edge. Although I definitely admit to losing my cool, or at least my coolness, in being a mom. But that doesn't bother me much - after all, most of the other parents are so much younger than me that I'm not really driven by peer pressure.

Maybe this is not a good thing. This week has really left me questioning my actions & sanity - or lack thereof.

On Monday, I woke up totally forgetting that youngest daughter had a camp to attend this week. When I noticed her doing her laundry by herself I wondered for a second and then remembered a brief conversation and check I had written weeks earlier to sign her up. So a little curious I asked her just where this camp was located. She answered vaguely with the name of a suburb up north but not really sure of what it was called. No problem, I thought, I'll just google it later. When does it end I ask and receive a "maybe Friday sometime". Need money? Yeah, there's cash in one of my jean's pockets you can have. I drop off her & the camp stuff she had packed on a neighboring church corner. Since we were early (I think) there wasn't a van driver or other camper in sight, but hey, there was a nice elderly gardener in the church yard.

So here it is Thursday night and I realize she never did call to let me know where exactly she is. She doesn't have a cell phone, b/c of course she's not driving yet and that would be like, a total waste. I really don't know the name or number of the leader of her group and not really sure when to pick her up tomorrow. Maybe I better get on that googl-ing!

OK, OK, just so the Parent Police don't arrest me during the night I am compelled to add this: while all the above is absolutely true, I dropped her off completely safe and I could track down a phone number if I had to. And I have prayed blessings over her each and every morning that her heart will truly be touched. But I am looking forward to the curious response I will get about why she failed to call me.