First things first

Well, this should be a continuation of the previous entry about focusing on a task per month. Mike, the kids and I had a "family huddle" this evening because the first things first just doesn't seem to be getting off of the ground and the month is almost halfway over. I have wonderful kids, but the "tweenage" attitude is getting to me big time. I dare not say, "Grow up!" because they're doing that way too fast as it is. I'm afraid to tell them if they want to be treated like adults then they must act like adults because the truth is they are still kids. They
be acting like kids. I always have a fear/vision of them getting into "adult" trouble and coming back at me with, "You told me to act like an adult; so that's what I was doing."
I guess I'm getting a little frustrated that I will be back in school next week and I feel like this week has been a nightmare. Everyone seems to be falling right back into their self-centered modes: dishwasher? why do I have to empty the dishwasher? I'll just watch my favorite programs on TV then study for my midterm exams. etc...
When asked what the phrase "first things first" means to them, Aaron, Alisa and Mike responded (respectively) as follows: "Do what you need to do; then do what you want." "Prioritize." "Take care of what you need to do right now before you start doing anything else." I concurred that they were all great answers. One can obviously see that understanding is not the problem; implementation is. I leave them alone and they don't do the right thing. I nag and remind and they still don't do the right thing without a bunch of eye-rolling and arms crossed over the chest. I'll keep on keeping on as I have relatively few options at this point. Please help pray us through all of this...Good night; until next time...