"Why she let her out of the house like that?"

Those are the words that I don't want you to whisper. I'm just letting ya'll know that I gave Dove notice a month in advance that I will not be reminding her to do certain things...certain "housekeeping" things. So, please don't remind me or tell me that I let her out the house looking crazy.

Since she was old enough to walk and talk, I have groomed Dove to be responsible. Hey, I'm a single mom so I consider us a team. There are certain expectations that I have for her that she should be responsible to maintain. So, on our chore board I have written what I will not remind her to do for the entire month of April...call it tough love.

I will not remind her to put on deoderant. She should know this by now! I'm so tired of her getting dressed and me asking, "Did you point on deoderant?" and I get the lazy, "Oh, I forgot." How do you forget? It's right there in front of you! So, I'm just waiting for the time when some kid says, "You stink!" That will teach her to put deoderant on daily.

I won't be reminding her to clean her ears, inside and behind them. I'm exhausted of riding in the car and lovingly looking over at her and seeing the wax roll out of her ears down onto her earlobes! Ugh-yuck! Don't you feel that? After making the list on the board, do you think that she made an effort to clean her ears? Hello, it's mid-April and the potatoes are harvesting!

Please don't say that I let her come out of the house without lotion on her legs. It's not my fault that she puts on shorts and her legs looks like she's been playing in flour. Nope, because I'm on vacation from reminding her to do simple things that she's been learning to do since what? 3 years old. You'd think my brilliant baby would have watched me lotion or shea butter my body and picked up on the habit. Hey, there is still hope she's "only" ten.

And, although it kills me to see her lips chalky white or chapped and bleeding as she picks them...I will not, well I'll try not to force her to moisturize her lips. I hate when my lips are dry, but maybe she doesn't realize it. Bless her heart. She has over a dozen tubes of lip gloss, but doesn't use them. I won't be wasting my dead presidents on that little vice any longer.

Allergy season has wreaked havoc on us. Year after year, I have found myself saying, "Why do you keep rubbing your eyes instead of putting drops in them...when will you decide to take your meds without me telling you to do so?" Without the reminders, I'm curious if she'll finally say to herself, "Hey, my eyes itch maybe I'll go and put some drops in them so that my eyes won't itch and burn...la-la-la-la-la..." It's funny, my sweetie carries around this big purse and has allergy supplies in them, but won't take them out and use them. I think it's the novelty of having them in her purse or something. What is that about?

It's only mid-April and my vacation will be over soon. Just in case you see us this month, don't point your finger at me and think I'm neglectful. Don't threaten me with a call to DSS. No, I'm just taking a break - got it. But, feel free to encourage her to be responsible and take care of herself. My sweet darling just hasn't taken that initiative to do so yet.

But, she will...eventually.