Management Style

Today's post will be a short one, mainly to report that after two atrocious days at school (where sending the Beaner home was considered but rejected because it would be seen as a reward, because Mommy works at home) and a slightly longer stretch of disrespect, defiance, distraction, and disruptive behavior at home, the Beaner had a better day today. As Mrs. Bennett once said in reference to Mr. Collins' marriage, "I only hope it will last." Unlike Mrs. Bennett, however, I am being sincere.

It occurred to me this morning, after it became clear that what we think of as our morning routine was blown to bits yet again, that it's time for a new schedule. It also occurred to me that raising a child is the ultimate management training seminar, and that if I ever want to try managing (at work) again, I should start practicing on my kid. Raising an independent child is not unlike being a good manager, after all; in both cases, you want to provide the tools to get the job done, give the person being managed the autonomy to do it, remove any obstacles to success, etc. To this end, I think we'll be drawing up a new morning schedule with input from the Beaner, and asking for suggestions from him on how we can all be held accountable for its success.

Posted by Lori in parenthood at 5:03 PM on May 2, 2008