Just A Minute.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.  

I'm a busy mom.  Just today I made waffles for breakfast, I did four loads of laundry, I made pasta for lunch, I homeschooled my older two kids, I made homemade monkey bread (Enter shameless self promotion here.) I went to our homeschool co-op, and I did it all while holding onto my one year old and praying she didn't grab something off the floor and stick it in her mouth without me noticing. You know, like a cricket...or a nail...

Being so busy, I've found myself constantly saying one thing over and over..."Just a minute!"

Can I have some juice?

Just a minute.

Can you turn on cartoons?

Just a minute.

Can we read a book?

Just a minute.

I hate it.  I cringe when I hear myself say it.  It makes me feel like the worst mom.  Don't get me wrong- I'm all about teaching my kids patience, but there's a point when it stops being about making them wait to build character, and it becomes more about making them wait because I can.  

I started wondering today how my children would feel- or even how I would feel- if instead of saying "just a minute" I told them the whole truth.  What if I replaced that dreaded phrase with "what I'm doing right now is more important than what you want or need."  Let's try it...

Can I have some juice?

I'm making waffles, and that's more important.  I'll make you juice when it's also time to eat. Well that's not so bad.

Can you turn on cartoons?

I'm in the middle of a homeschool lesson.  You'll have to wait until we are done.  I can live with that, but let me be a bit more realistic...

Can we read a book?

I'm in the middle of the good part of this show, and that's more important. 

I'm on Facebook trying to figure out why this person changed their relationship status, and that's more important.

I'm writing a blog about how I don't pay enough attention to you, and that's more important...

I guess it's all about prioritizing.  There are legit reasons to make my kids wait for things.  It builds character. It teaches them that waiting for things is a necessary evil in life sometimes, but if I'm being honest, it also can easily teach them my priorities.  

I want to write a better, more thought-provoking ending to this blog post, but it's my kid's bedtime, so you'll have to wait...just a minute...