When I was still teaching, the school district was always asking us to do these self-evaluations where we would determine our efficacy as educators based on some random criteria that we had dreamed up earlier in the school year during a goal setting conference with the principal. The whole thing was a bit tricky, because your September vision of what kind of school year you plan to have is often quite, quite different from your June reflection on the kind of school year you actually had. Something to do with the students actually showing up and being real human beings who are complicated and unique. Go figure.
Anyway, I was thinking the other day about parenting self-evaluations, and I've decided that making sure the dishdrainer has silverware and drying paintbrushes in at least equal proportion most of the time is a good standard by which to judge my mothering. And I promise you that this decision has very little to do with my inability to harness the laundry pile. Ahem.
