A full plate

This week I'm taking a lesson from my 12-year-old daughter.
"You have too much to do, Mom."
Lesson learned here is when your child says this to you...STOP and LISTEN.
I'd like to think I've taught my daughter (s) at least half (but let's face it, probably more than half) of everything she knows.
I often comment that my daughters are very smart and have good heads on their shoulders.
So, why then don't I listen to them more often?
I could blog here about my age, my life experiences, my general maturity, etc..that I just know so much more than they do because I've LIVED more.
Well, this week I'm telling you and them...that's just crap.
My daughter told me yesterday that she didn't want to try out for Soccer (a sport she just does not really enjoy) because she already has "a full plate" (her homework to do, a frequent babysitting commitment, a church youth group she wants to join and a newspaper club she'd like to work on at school). Not to mention that her first (sport) love is basketball. She's said: "Mom, I have enough to do."
Smart thinking, smart decision making, smart kid.
She's quickly and effectively evaluated her time, her likes/dislikes and her "priorities" and is not ashamed, stressed or afraid to tell her friends "this just isn't important to me."
I think you'd agree that we can learn A LOT from our children, when we take the time to listen and follow their lead.