Maybe we don't have daily assignments and quarterly projects as our kids' do.
No, that would be the easy part! We have the daunting task and challenge as parents to be daily at our posts in the areas of Availability, Balanced Living, and Consistency.

• AVAILABILITY - I'm talking to myself here.
  When I am with my children, am I all there? Does the phone, six o'clock news, or even making dinner, keep me from truly engaging with my child? Our children need to have our undivided attention.
  Too often we try to multitask to get it all done and truly connecting with our children.
  I have always prided myself as being the queen of multitasking but too often my kids pay the price for that.
  Our time with our children is too short.
  They'll be grown and gone before we know it.
  Let's make the most of every moment with them.
  
• Balanced Living - It's just part of our culture - busy and on the move.
  Is there too much going and doing, and not enough being? Where can we find those places in our lives to offer a sense of refuge for our kids in the midst of all that their busy schedules demand? Dinner together; staying and lingering awhile to get caught up with each other; breakfast together on a Saturday morning--the most important thing is taking time at home to enjoy one another's company.
  It's as though the school bell rings on the first day and we don't stop running until it stops on the last.
  Let's strive to enjoy time with one another and do our best to live a balanced life.
  
• CONSISTENCY - Our kids need a sense of normalcy and routine in the midst of all the frenetic busyness.
  Establishing small family habits can have big returns.
  Up by 6:30, out by 7:15 - no TV until the homework is finished, etc.
  We need to provide parameters for our kids and boundary lines that help them make smart and rewarding choices.
  Helping them learn to know and to keep "the main thing the main thing" will be a great asset for them now and in the future.
  

So my challenge to myself is to recommit myself to A) be there; B) make a haven for my kids in the midst of the chaos; and C) provide the necessary structure to help my kids maximize their potential for success.
Now I know my ABC's!