I think procrastination must be genetic. That's the only way I can explain why my kids (not genetically related to me) would be so devoid of it, and I on the other hand...well, you will see:
Last Wednesday, BR came home from school and said enthusiastically, "I've got a TON of homework" and proceeds to plop down at the kitchen table and jump right in. I marveled at his enthusiasm but thought it was some math he wasn't able to do in school and didn't give it another thought. (This kid so seldom has homework. When questioned about it he says he's finished it during school. Last month, he had a book report that I heard about the day before it was due. I was freaking out and he calmly tells me about how he's completed the written part of it and the wind sock display during his free time at school!! I sputter..."Well, what book did you choose??" and he tells me that he chose the novel Grandma Carol sent for Christmas. I continue, "Well, well... you have to have it approved by your teacher." Once again, he's ready with the answers. His teacher thought it was just great. He got it all read and everything is under control, Mom. (I never heard the likes of a kid like that! Well, I certainly never displayed such self sufficiency till I was in high school, if not college.) :P ).
Anyway, let’s see if I can get back to my original story. After about a half an hour or so BR approaches me and asks if he can have a whole roll of tape. Now I'm mystified. Come to find out that he’s got a report to do on “Jim Bridger” and he’s got to make a poster board about him for it. I tell him that first he needs to do the written part. He assures me that he’s finished that part already and that now he’d like to tape a bunch of pieces of paper together so that he can create his own “poster board” since he knows we don’t have any. Well I, the eager procrastinator, (as well as having too much pride to let my son take a hodge podge poster to school) tell him that since the report is not due until next Wednesday, we’ll go another day and get one and he can make it then, we’ve got plenty of time. I told him he could design it on a small piece in the mean time if he’d like. Well, almost as soon as the words have left my mouth, the thought has left my mind. It didn’t return until this afternoon when I got an email from his room mom reminding us about the “Mountain Man Rendezvous” tomorrow. Suddenly my folly comes rushing into my mind and I know that his report is due tomorrow and he’d have finished it if his mom hadn’t been such a horrid procrastinator. I rush to the store and buy some poster boards and then during dinner prep I ask BR to read me his assignment so that I can “help” him. As he starts reading we both realize that we’ve gotten the date wrong and we’re a week early. It’s not due till NEXT Wednesday!! Well, can you guess what I say to that?? I promptly proceed to tell him that we’ve got plenty of time then, and that we don’t need to worry about it tonight!!
P.S. MC does the exact same thing! No begging, scolding, cajoling or pressuring...she can hardly stand to change her clothes first or put away her coat before she pulls out her math and starts figuring away!! Go figure.
