Teach Your Children Well*

From the moment they are born we nurture and teach our children.  We are preparing them for the world -  preparing them for the day they will one day leave our nest.  

I never stopped to think that perhaps learning to make macaroni & cheese out of a box would be a milestone.  With this important knowledge they are ready to go out in the world without me (or at least for me to go away for a weekend knowing they won't starve). 

Mac 'n cheese - even better right out of the pot apparently

Other lessons I have taught my children include: "counting by two's, tying their shoes", how to play hopscotch and skip double dutch,  the importance of showing respect and kindness to others; setting the table like the Queen herself might show up for dinner; laundry (including sorting by colour and folding); loading the dishwasher; planting a garden; cutting the grass; making french toast and bacon (very important for Mother's day); dusting and vacuuming (there is a chance they might need a refresher course on that one); keeping the toilet seat down; mixing a wicked Gin & Tonic; the difference between weeds and plants; how to use the bank machine; how to assemble Ikea furniture (okay maybe they taught me that one) and countless other things.  

In return my children have taught me everything I know about what it means to love unconditionally, what is important and what is not, and that macaroni & cheese tastes better out of the pot.

* Crosby Stills Nash & Young