I am a fan of sleeping. As a kid I could sleep all hours, sleep in, sleep through any noise or mayhem including sometimes an alarm going off near my head,  and sleep anywhere - and it has followed me through all the days of my life. Perhaps it is because I was 8th of 9 children that I learned to sleep so well - survival in a way and tolerance too.

My kids, all four of them, are pretty remarkable sleepers too and always have been. Sure there were the standard early years but even those were never so bad and, to this day, my kids can sleep anywhere, with any noise and as long as their little bodies need to.

With the school schedule I have sometimes had difficulty waking up at the required 6:15. That is 30 minutes before I wake the kids and gives me the time I need to check in with myself before meeting everyone else’s needs. I love that time but honestly, I had a hard time not pressing the snooze alarm, once, twice, sometimes even three times giving me 10, 20 or 30 more minutes of precious sleep. Not that the extra time made getting up any easier but it was a tease of the sleep I so loved.

About 2 weeks ago we received our first order of linen bound copies of a book that my partner in Slow Family Living and I created a few months prior. It’s called My Book. It is a journal of sorts. It’s the one you check when you’re figuring out your day and how you want it to go, and to flow. It’s a place for you to put your gratitudes, intentions, ideas, to-dos, insights, feelings, and your wishes, wants and dreams. All in a completely succinct and welcoming format. When the prompts are given and the space is there for you to fill in, it is easy to make My Book a habit you will love and look forward to. Really.

And of course that’s coming from me, the one who created it and is selling it but I am also swearing to it because I’ve realized that it is working for me, mother of four, woman who loves to sleep in. Not to sound ridiculous or hokey or salesy, but I am here to tell you that I am no longer hitting the snooze alarm because I so look forward to filling out these simple and clear pages. When the alarm rings now I leap up and really, truly, without a doubt think, “Ooh, get up so I can fill out my pages.”

There are others who agree and there not even related to me. So, if you’re a person who maybe had a hard time waking up or keeping up with a daily routine of writing out your thoughts and gratitudes, you might want to check out My Book. I’m here to tell you it’s really that good.  In over two weeks of having My Book, I have not hit the snooze alarm once. I kid you not. And let me tell you, for me, that is really big news.

I’m trying out something new. I’m suspending my impatient, directorial style of parenting and replacing it with a milder form of mentorship. Fully recharged after eight days in the Swiss Alps, I delved into an online parenting course (that I’m admittedly reviewing for someone) and discovered you can actually create a lot more calmness by asking a simple question:

Whose problem is this?

Yes, we all want our children to achieve greatness: if not Oprah Winfrey status than at least head-of-the-class, top-of-the-world, straight-for-the-executive-suite kind of greatness. I’m kidding. Sort of.

Some of us are more ambitious than others. I’ll readily admit I have high hopes for my smart, charming daughter and my entertaining, athletic son. But more importantly, whose life is it, anyway? If my kids don’t do their homework, who suffers? Other than the possibility their lives might emulate the cast of the movie, Failure to Launch, it isn’t really our problem when your kids make bad decisions. Ultimately, they have to deal with the consequences. We only think we do.

Think about it. When was the last time you got in trouble for your child’s poor grades? Or bad behavior at a restaurant? Many of us parents wear the cloak of guilt if our kids act up, and there are people who are more than happy to remind you what a bad job you are doing raising those hellions. Guess what? We can’t control them. But we can control our response. Act out of the ordinary, and your kids start to notice. Mine have.

Fresh off Lesson #3 from today’s parenting course, I jumped into it with vigor.

“I’m bored!” my son whined.

“Oh, what are you going to do?” I asked.

He was stunned.

Normally, I offer helpful hints, tips and tricks to avoid the Boredom Monster. After he recovered from his initial shock, my son said, “I think I’ll call Anton.” He quickly got distracted with something his sister was doing, then proudly announced 30 minutes later that he decided now would be a good time to call his friend. They made a playdate. After a quick peck on the cheek, he was out the door.

My daughter, who tends to challenge me wherever I go, looked me squarely in the eye and said, “I’m doing the rest of my homework after dance class.” She laid out a sensible plan. “Sounds like you know what you are doing!” was all I said. Another stunned silence ensued. No bickering? Commanding? Bossing around? I smiled sweetly and wished her good luck. My daughter looked about her, put on her shoes, and left for Hip Hop.

Fast-forward a few hours. The kids came home. My daughter dilly-dallied. It started to get late.

“Oh, didn’t you say you were going to read outloud?” She claimed she already had. When I reminded her she had said she would do so in front of her father, she had no where to go. “Are you going to read now or after your shower?” She started to squirm. I could tell my calm, question-based parenting was started to sink in. It really is her responsibility to make certain things get done in her life.

Freedom rings in the form of a question. Got to love the New Year!