Make Your Bed.

I'm not a domestic goddess.  There are usually piles of laundry on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink.  But one thing is certain: The bed is always made.  Well, almost always.

A few months before my daughter was born, I sat down with my husband for the talk.  Sorry to disappoint, but it had nothing to do with money, sex, or in-laws.  “We need to start making the bed,” I insisted.  If I was going to demand that my child make her bed one day, then I needed to do it too. 

So we tested the widely held belief that it takes 21 days to make a habit.  Now (Drumroll, please), almost two years later, I’m still climbing into a nice, neat bed every night.  And every morning I take one minute to pull the sheets taut and straighten the comforter.  One minute.  That’s all it takes.

You’re probably wondering: Why the big stink over the bed? Because it’s never just about making the bed.  Even Michelle Obama, who has a 95-person residence staff, demands that her two daughters make their beds.  In an interview with Oprah, the First Lady spoke of her daughters’ chores: “It can’t be foreign to them to be part of a working household.”  I couldn’t agree more. 

I spent a couple of years teaching first and second grade.  During conference time, parents inevitably asked what they could do at home to help their children succeed.  Without fail, I always answered, “Read.  Read.  Read.”  If I had to do it all over again, I’d add, “And have little Suzie make her bed.”