It's All Uncle Mark's Fault

Finally I get it – all the time the twins were filling out their UCAS forms, it was reminding me of something.  As they wrestled with their personal statements and I coaxed, nagged and threatened by turns, I knew that there was something at the back of my mind that was similar.  Couldn’t quite put my finger on it until today. 

It’s the Christmas thank you letters. 

“Listen, kids, if you don’t bother to thank Uncle Mark for the book tokens he won’t bother to send them next year.”

Rather like,

“Listen, kids, if you don’t hurry up and submit that UCAS form you won’t be getting an offer from Southampton/Bristol/York.”

So now I see where it all went wrong.  It was Uncle Mark’s fault.  Because, in spite of the fact that my procrastinating children quite often failed to thank him promptly, he went on doggedly and faithfully sending the very useful book tokens every year.

Obviously, a more hard-nosed attitude on the part of my relatives would have provided a better preparation for my children when they were writing their university applications – I’ll have to tell Uncle Mark that when I thank him for the nice novel he sent me this Christmas.