End of school parties, Yearbook signing, Exams, Daydreaming in class, Focused on the end of the school day bell... All signs that the end of the school year is here. Yay! For us working parents, our day to day lives go on as normal (other than the occasional summer getaway), but the kids are looking forward to lazy summer days. No alarm clocks. No assignments. No homework. No schedules. Just a whole lot of staying up late, sleeping in and enjoying the dog days of summer. Ahhhhhhh. Life doesn't get any better than that, does it? I hate to burst their bubble. It all sounds so awesome and wonderful and, well... so darn lovely, doesn't it? But I'm about to put a wrench in their plans. You see, they're old enough now to stay home on their own. No more babysitters. No more Grandma. No more homemade chicken soup :(. Which means the torch has now been passed on to them - the children of the home. Which means our home is theirs between the hours of 9-5. Which means they're not spending the day at the babysitter or Grandma isn't coming over to make them lunch and wash the dishes and sweep the floors. Which means... THEY DARN WELL BETTER CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES! I'm going to put a chore list on the fridge with each child's responsibility. I expect that the house be tidy, beds made, dishes washed, floors swept and children happy by the time I walk through the door after work. Is that too much? Do you think teens & pre-teens should be given more responsibility during the summer months?