One could be a productive parent in a number of ways. My friend and his wife have eight healthy children. That's pretty impressive. A neighbor with only two children, now grown, has built a family culture in which both kids and their kids arrive each Friday night for pizza and a movie. That's productive as well.

I was at the my town library the other night and my 9 year old signed up for an event later in the month. As I was supervising the other little ones, I witnessed something amazing and gave myself an invisible pat on the back.

My child was writing herself a reminder note. I gave her a look and she said matter-of-factly, "Dad, how else will I remember this?" Simple as that.

What are you trusting to remind yourself (and maybe those around you too?) of upcoming events or actions?

*Photo by dmachiavello