In a Timely Manner

I know this may be shocking to you, but I am having to impart quite a bit of wisdom - well what I consider to be wisdom - to my 14 year old daughter.  This weeks learning target?

Be where you are supposed to be when you say you will be there.

We are lucky enough to have a third driver in the family now so we are not always needed to pick her up but when we do we do not relish the idea of sitting in the parking lot while she does whatever it is she is doing inside the building.

We know the practice times 3:00 to 6:30.  But if we arrive at 6:30 the soonest we see the whites of her eyes is usually 6:45. Unless of course we leave the house around 6:35 (it takes 5 min to get to the school) then she is shooting off texts like she has been waiting for HOURS.

The other night my husband and I were crossing paths him on the way home, me heading out and the third driver? Well he was working.  I know! Who said he could get all grown up and responsible and stuff? The word on the street from the girl was, 'Practice is 3:00 to 6:00, but we might get done early.'
Herein lies the problem, 'might be done early' is code for, I will just call you whenever and then you can drop whatever it is that you are doing and come get me.

After some discussion with my husband we agreed that there was about a 45 min time period when he would not yet be available and I would have to be headed to my meeting.  I texted the daughter.

'If you r not done by 5 you will have to wait til 6 for a ride from dad we are crossing paths.'

I myself thought it was pretty clear. At 5:02 pm I received the following text, 'Im done'.
Ummmm, really?!

Now I know there are some of you out there that are saying to yourselves, 'Surely she went and got her. It was only 2 minutes after 5.' I really thought you knew me better than that.

5:03 'Sorry have to wait for dad at 6 text him if you get a ride'.
5:24 'Did you get a ride'
5:43 'Yes'
5:43 'Did you let dad know where you r'
5:57 'Yes'

I will say that there are people and activities going on at that school all day long and into the evening.  All the girls on the colorguard team live in a 5 mile radius of the school and the upper classmen drive.  I was not worried at all about her either getting a ride home or being safe if she had to wait for an hour. Worst case scenario, horror of horrors, on a lovely fall evening when it's sunny and not raining in November, she could walk the 3/4 of a mile to the house.

Time is a tricky thing. It's best to learn to use it to your advantage and you are never too young to learn.