Committment

I've been contemplating committment this week as have Chris
and
thicketdweller. 
My life seems to sometimes consist not of my committments but in steering my kids to become the kind of person who keeps THEIR committments. I seem to have succeeded, at least with the oldest three who are 13, 11 and 9. The younger three are works in progress. The one year old's only committment is to put her shoes away after all. I ask them if they need help or send them out the door and let them take it from there. I know some people think I push too much responsibility on my kids. I tend to think their children are whiny butts. It's all in your point of view I guess. I've been wondering if my esteem of responsibility and independence is a product of my having had older parents. My parents were children of the depression. My dad left home at 14 and my mom got a job and paid rent at 15. I left home at 18 and never went back. ( Ok, for a visit, but not to live.) Dear Lord, I don't want them living on my couch when they are 20. We'll have to see what happens. I really do think though, that making it to meetings and practices and places promised will at the worst not hurt them. Heck, it might even help. My committment is not to get them there, or see that they get everything done but to give them the skills to do it themselves. My committment is to let them know they are loved and that I would chew glass for them.