Thursday, April 10, 2008

Holy Interviewing Toledo! And Parenting

And in exciting writing news...

I had my very first interview ever! We're talking first ever. Online, offline, in outer space....

The delightful Becky Levine did an interview with me for a very cool online kidlit journal, the Edge of the Forest. Here's the interview.

And here's the link to Becky's entertaining blog. Entertaining AND full of good advice. I'm referring to when she tells everyone to run out in December to buy I So Don't Do Mysteries. :)

And now back to the previous blog. Here's the deal. I didn't take the homework up to school. I didn't save Child #3. Yikes.

And here's what happened:

-Child #3 arrives home from school. He is displeased his mother didn't deliver his homework.
-He is, however, pleased to find homemade banana bread.
-After his snack, Child #3 organizes his binder. He, then, completes his homework for the next day and carefully packs it.

Okay. I still don't know whether or not I should have saved this wonderful, delightful, awesome child of mine. It does seem as though maybe I've been doing a little too much saving lately. Anyway, we've moved on. And today's chatter was mostly about swim team and the word "postdate."

Who knows? Maybe this was a teeny tiny slice of a life lesson?

For both of us.

32 comments:

  1. Great Interview! Congrats on your 1st - may you have many more! The concept of 2K8 is brilliant. I think that UK new authors should band together and do something similar!

    Kudos on toughing it out yesterday. You are definitely no sissy! If it was becoming a habit then it had to be done! Lesson learnt!
    The banana bread does sound good!

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  2. Congratulations on the terrific interview and on the "tough love". :-)

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  3. Awesome!!!!

    Tough love is challenging...but I think worth it!

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  4. I think it was a WONDERFUL life leason, cause it actually worked! You can't get better than that!

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  5. Congrats on the interview and I can see how hard it would be not to have 'saved' him. I know if I had been in your shoes I would be second guessing myself. I do way too much of that.

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  6. congrats on the interview!

    FWIW, I think you did the right thing. He'll learn more from a day of homework sitting on the counter than from a rescue mission from mom. He sounds like a great kid.

    And I'm dying to know what the conversation around 'postdate' was.

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  7. It was a BIG life lesson and a good one at that. He will now be conscience for the rest of his life when he needs to remember to bring something. Carelessness is my #1 pet peeve and you've just saved him from that.

    I think you did the right thing- you're a good mom!

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  8. You did well, Mother. I am proud of you! I need to learn from you.

    And congrats on your interview. That is VERY exciting. I just hope you'll remember all us little people, you know, when you get on Oprah.

    Heidi

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  9. Loved the interview! Man, I wish I could take you to coffee. I have the funny feeling you are a riot in person!

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  10. brian_ohio says,

    Great interview! Did your sister have any comment?

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  11. Sorry... I posted anonymous again. Why is this Blogger giving me so much trouble? And why am I taking up Barrie's comment space with my trials? And why am I asking myself these questions?

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  12. Whichever...it worked, smart mom!

    Kudos on the interview, too. :)

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  13. Barrie,

    The interview was fun.

    And I think you did good with the decision. I'm learning, slowly, that "pleased with Mom" too often translates into "I won't remember next time, either." :)

    Thanks for the link!

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  14. Congrats on the book, and the interview. It was a fun interview.

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  15. Barrie,

    Congratulations on your very first interview. How cool is that!

    Linda Mac

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  16. Awwww ... better he learn it now than in high school, when it'll really count!

    Great interview! And, ohmigosh, I forgot about Ned Nickerson! I remember thinking he was the coolest, but ... you know ... that was way back then. :-)

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  17. I really enjoyed the interview and learning more and more about you!! Very cool. Take care and I'll see you soon - Kellan

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  18. Great interview! Congratulations! And I must say, I admire your will power. It's not easy to teach our babies the hard lessons. I think you've done a MAJOR service for Boy #3. He won't forget to organize his things any time soon. Great job, mom!
    ~Debbie

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  19. I'm going to read the interview later today when I have more time - I hear my little one waking up! Congrats on your first ever! How exciting!

    I'm glad to know whether or not you took the homework. That would be a tough call.

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  20. A fab interview! Becky does a great job. And I’m SO looking forward to reading your book. :)

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  21. great interview! congratulations! i think "life lesson" describes it best! :) happy weekend!

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  22. Congrats on the interview! That would be so exciting!!

    Whoa, interesting reading everyone's input on whether to save or not save on the homework issue. I'm so glad I'm not a mother yet... I'd be a wreck! I think your son probably learned a valuable life lesson. :)

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  23. Congrats on the interview -- it will be my reading later, my kids are not cooperating with my blog reading right now.

    as for homework -- sometimes you just have to let them feel it. I literally live right next to my kid's school (looking at it out my window now), it was a bit too easy for them to forget things. I didn't want to cripple them come middle school (15 minute car ride away)-- so we had to put the kibosh on the bail outs...most of them :o).

    for what it's worth, not helping them -- has really helped them to be more organized about getting things in the back pack.

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  24. COngrats! What a big deal! Were you nervous at all?

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  25. what a fantastic lesson your kid learned...that you LET him learn!! Bet he won't forget homework again.....

    nice job Mom!!

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  26. loved the interview!

    also, it was my experience with boy (now 24) that all those little lessons, all that low risk non-saving, paid in the end. those little lessons morphed into big life lessons and all was/is well.

    go you! on both issues...

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  27. Good job on both the interview, and the parenting skills. I'm picking up tips all over this blogosphere!

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  28. Congratulations on your first interview. Great job.

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  29. The teachers behind me thank you..
    The teachers teaching with me thank you...
    The teachers teaching in tomorrow's world thank you...

    for NOT bringing the homework up to school.

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  30. It is hard to do…. but I am getting better and better at it.:)

    I believe something happens when they are around 12 yrs...Middle school has hit or at least on the horizon. Once they start having more than one teacher and different periods it is harder to save them.

    Good thing you started now!

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  31. Congrats! I have felt the same as you and had to leave the room or bit my tongue and just let it ride out. Some of the best lessons are hard taught. Good for you, he'll be better for it in the end.

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  32. Happy First Interview- I predict Oprah will be calling soon.

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Comments are always welcome!