Are they the boss of you? Find out!
By Kathy Buckworth

1. Your 12 year old has a hockey tourney the same weekend as your 6-months-in-the-making Dirty Weekend Away with your partner. Do you:
a. Delete the email and disable the computer and phone so your kid can’t find out about the tournament;
b. Convince a team-mate’s parents to take her on their road trip (neglecting to tell them about that pesky lice condition which just came up);
c. Tell her she could go if only Granny weren’t so selfish about her dialysis;
d. Cancel your weekend. Book the world’s crappiest motel room in Upper Armpit X-ville. Cheer for every goal and swear you’re having the best time.  You and your partner can always have sex next year.

2. You have 5 minutes to drop your 2 year old at daycare before your pre-Gala hair appointment.  She’s sleepy and wheezy,  so you:
a. Bundle her up, whisk her into the car, and will her not to cough until after you’ve dropped her off;
b. Snag a passing neighbour to watch her for an hour;
c. Call the hairdresser to reschedule, throwing in an extra couple of highlights just because;
d. Cancel your hair.  Dump L’Oreal on your head and pray for dim lighting at the Gala.  Look how sweet she looks sleeping…

3. Your 5 year old is having a screaming fit in the Wal-Mart about the $50.00 piece of crap toy he desperately wants you to buy. You:
a. Say "N" and leave the store;
b. Say "Ask Daddy when you come here on the weekend";
c. Say "Yes", put it in the cart and remove it at the checkout while you distract him with a 25 cent lollipop;
d. Say "Yes, if you’ll just shut up... only this one time…don’t tell Dad."

4. You’re at a "kids invited" dinner party. Your children are the only ones not interested in the movie in another room that’s keeping the rest quiet.  You:
a. Lead them back to the movie room, telling them that their alternative is sitting in a dark room upstairs that you’re pretty sure the Rottweiler never goes into.
b. Pour yourself another glass of wine, tell your husband to just deal with it, and not to return to the dinner table if he’s bringing those rats with him.
c. Tell them if they’ll be quiet for just half an hour longer they can stay up for an extra hour and candy tomorrow night (you’re lying, FYI)
d. Tell the other dinner guests that your precious children aren’t entertained by drivel and that they’d feel more welcome at the dinner table with the adults.  Manners matter in their future life as giants of industry.

5. Your Grade 1 daughter comes home with a flyer requesting parent volunteers for a field trip on the same day you’ve arranged to catch up with an old girlfriend over a liquid lunch in the trendy restaurant du jour.  You:
a. Continue planning your hot outfit and your hangover remedy;
b. Guilt your husband into doing "just this one trip that means so much";
c. Reluctantly promise take her to the school’s spring play (where none of your children are performing, but one of her best friends has 2 lines) which you’d previously slated for a fake flu night;
d. Cancel the girlfriend, rescheduling for 6 ½ months later at a suburban chain restaurant 5 minutes away.  Call the teacher to plan the trip snack.