Aug 28, 2009

Write it Down - Quick!

What if Marco Polo, who told his tales of travel to a fellow inmate, who was a writer, told them instead to a guy who replied, "Oh, that's nice"? The Travels of Marco Polo would not exist.

If you don't write it down, it didn't happen.

What if your child makes the chess team at middle school, and practices are weekly, county meets are monthly, and tournaments are TBA? How do you keep your child's calendar straight along with your own? Write it down. Get a date book, and live by your date book. Make it big enough to record events that require your presence/preparation/driver's license, and then carry a purse that is big enough to carry your date book. If you leave the date book home, you'll double book yourself, because you cannot remember every detail. No you can't. Don't let your children fall into the bad habit of thinking that their mere mention of a future event transfers all responsibility on you to "make it happen." Give it back to them saying, "I'm driving right now. Tell me about it again when I have my date book out."

At my house, we have a rule: If it isn't written down, it doesn't happen.

I bought several things when my babies were born. One of them was a journal. I recorded things like height, weight, and first words, but the hilarious things were some of the other words that came at age three, four, and five, like "If I go away to college, who will wash my hair?" I'd record excerpts of our conversation, let them tell me about their favorite food, toys, and tv shows, while I wrote it all down with the date. When the moment is cute and adorable, you tend to think "Oh, I'll always remember this!" You WON'T. Write it down. I'll go back and read some of the hilarious comments my kids said and I find myself rolling on the floor. Literally. You don't want to miss out on that joy.

If you didn't write it down, it didn't happen.

What are you going to write today?

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