She turned to me and smiled, “I know what I’m getting you for Mother’s Day”.  It was said with a smirk and a knowing smile.  It is the kind of confidence one exudes with the knowledge of the ‘perfect gift’.  And in her little mind, she had it.

She knows her mommy.  She knows what she expects of her mommy and she is certain she knows JUST what her mommy would like.

Her Daddy leans in expectantly, “what do you want to do, Delaney?”

She giggles, cups her hands around her mouth to hold her secret close and begins to whisper.  Her Daddy’s eyes widen a little and  then he shakes his head, “Honey, we’re supposed to get her something SHE wants, not something you want…..she doesn’t even know HOW”.

Crestfallen, she replied, “but I could TEACH her….”

And a little something in me broke.

Because with those words alone, I knew just what she wanted to give me: a softball glove.

You see, I’ve been very comfortable with the separation of fun and responsibility in our home.  My husband and I split the two equally, but we have different ways of tackling them.  The responsibility part, I think, is easy.  That is 50/50. So is the discipline.

But it is in the ‘fun’ department where our parental roles are a bit hazy.  I’ve always joked that Jeff is the ‘fun one’.  He’s always had a ball in his hand  And while I’ve always gotten down on the floor with my small people to play…. I read, I do anything and everything creative and I’m liberal with hugs, kisses and snuggling, it somehow doesn’t quite measure up.

But I’ve convinced myself it is ok because I DON’T KNOW HOW.

Jeff is the coach.  He is the one who has taught them to pitch and hit, throw and kick the soccer ball like a champ.  I sit on the sidelines.

And I THOUGHT my small people were ok with these roles.  I mean….let me be clear: I don’t know HOW to throw.  When I try, everyone corrects me.  My catching is suspect…. I’ve never seemed to lose my fear of the ball.  And Delaney could probably beat me in a race even now.  She’s seven.

However, this moment made me think.  I am embarrassed by my utter lack of physical acumen and yet, SHE isn’t.  I had long ago given up on myself when it came to anything sports, but she is convinced I can do it.  It is a role reversal of epic proportions.

I had settled nicely into my role as the reading, comforting mom, but Delaney has other ideas. It is time for me to reassess my ‘mom role’.  I don’t only have to be ONE kind of mom.  I don’t have to let Jeff be the only fun parent, since my kids are making it extremely clear that FUN to them involves being outside and playing sports.

It may be June, but this is a perfect time for me to make a mid year resolution.

I’m going to allow myself to be the student when it comes to sports and my kids.

My resolution:

I will learn how to catch a softball because my small girl has faith I can do it (and honestly? That faith? Is AWESOME)

Have you ever considered making a mid-year resolution?  P&G everyday recently conducted a study and found that 51% of people who made a New Year’s Resolution failed to follow through on their goals.  Why?  Well, 70% say they failed because their goal was too big or they tried to achieve too much.

So, why not aim for something small? Think about the little things you can do everyday that would make a BIG difference in your world. (like learning to catch!)

P&G everyday is launching a mid-year campaign to encourage people like you and me to make life better for us and our families by making everyday resolutions.

Do you want to add one more home cooked meal to your week?

Do you think you need to take 15 minutes to dance and sing each day?

Do you want to teach your children the art of writing letters?

Letting my daughter teach me to catch a softball is not a monumental task.  It simply requires a little effort.  And it will make her year. That means it will make mine.

To reward consumers for taking these steps, P&G everyday will be giving away $100,000 in prizes during the month of June.

• For each person who submits an everyday resolution to the P&G everyday Facebook Page, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win:
  • From June 1 – June 25:  Three $1,000 VISA prepaid debit cards a day
  • From June 26 – June 30:  Five $1,000 VISA prepaid debit cards a day

When you share your resolution, you can also include a picture.

I will be sharing an everyday resolution on my Twitter and Facebook pages each day during the month of June and I would love for you to join me.

I would love to know what you decide to do (and if you stick to it)  I will be sure to let you know how my catching lessons are going.

Disclosure: I am working as a spokesperson for P&G’s everyday resolution campaign.  Why? Because I use P&G products on a daily basis and it makes me happy to share this new project with you.  As always, all opinions and stories are mine alone.