BY PAMELA JO BOWMAN – MESA ARIZONA — Yesterday, Ciera overslept. I am one of those “weird” Moms. I expect my kids to get themselves to bed at a reasonable hour and to get themselves up and ready for their day. So at seven, I noticed she was not up yet. Around 7:30, I remembered that she was my youngest and I am not raising her like the others. I opened her door. “Ciera, you are late.” She claims she is not. I tell her it is 7:30. She jumps out of bed and is in a junior high “drama panic.” She kicks her brother out of her bathroom and scowls at all of us.

Why is she mad at us?

Before she leaves for school, I sit and tell her I am waiting for an apology. She does not respond. I tell her again that she must apologize for her tirade and attitude. She defensively retorts, “Well, I hate when you round off! It wasn’t 7:30 it was only 7:27! That’s why I was so upset. It wasn’t really 7:30, yet.”

Oh! Then I understood. It was my fault after all! It’s always about me. I need to remember, no rounding off. Got to go! She has late start today. She gets to sleep in to 8:30. DON’T ROUND OFF, now. Not 8:15 or 8:45. Exactly 8:30.