You know how there are things that you do for your kids that make you want to gouge your eyes out and curl up in a fetal position? But you do them anyway--because it's the mom thing to do and other moms everywhere would think you pretty much failed the mom pop quiz if you admitted to not liking them? Even though......even though.........I bet there are more of us in the same camp over 'said things' than anyone will admit?
Let's come clean together, shall we, in a long over-due episode of 'For Real Friday's.' Judge me, think horribly of me, or ............. join me.
1. Playing outside. I was the kid in elementary school who would do a cheer on rainy days because it meant indoor recess. Now, I understand the teacher-me loathed rainy days because it meant indoor recess and indoor morning duty, but the kid-me.....that's a different story. And the mom-me...........
Playing outside for me is one of my least favorite ways to pass the time with G. It's usually either too hot or too cold, and it involves a lot of me running into the street to get a ball.....after I've just sat down from killing a spider..........right after I filled up the pool (which of course involved wrangling a hose)............right before I got out the sidewalk chalk and killed myself drawing a 'to-scale' version of 28th street..........which was interrupted by a frantic run to the ice-cream truck........all the while fighting over sun-screen, why Georgia can't drink one more 'special juice,' why we aren't walking to the park RIGHT NOW, and topped off with begging to just go inside and watch a show.
It's really delightful.
2. Playing dress-up. Inevitably this is accompanied by a list of
If I'm told I have to be the mean lady (ha! I love that I get assigned that prophetic role) I'm usually not mean enough, if I'm relegated to play a princess I'm not happy enough, if I'm supposed to be a ballerina I am a huge failure at it because I can't squeeze into a tutu made FOR A THREE YEAR OLD, and if I have to portray Maximus (yep--the horse) from Tangled I don't gallop the right way. Seriously?
A lot of the times when Georgia asks me, "Who are you going to be today mommy?" I reply back with, "Mommy--that's it."
I grant her a, "Mother Gothel, King Triton, or horse," once or twice a day. It's really all I can take.
3. Playing with food. By this, I don't mean cooking and baking with Georgia.....that, I love and think is crucial to a child's food education. But playing with food at the table while she's eating? Ridiculous. And I think it's a huge joke that's been played on American parents by pediatricians and even some chefs who think they've found the cure for picky American kids. "If they play with the food, they'll learn to love it." Really? So smashing things into a paste and mixing up mashed potatoes, cherries, and ketchup helps kids learn to love cherries? Or just hate them because they taste like a mashed potato ketchup brew? I'll go with the latter. Kids learn to love food by trying it....when it's prepared in a delicious way. And trying it often. I just can't get behind the whole-playing-with-your-food movement.
I'm sure this will come up in therapy one day.
Now lest you go thinking I don't like doing the typical mom things with Georgia, rest assured......I love.....
- Play-doh
- Art projects
- Dolls
- Taking walks (I know.....it's outside....but it's different)
- Reading books
- Playing vet & doctor
- Practicing letters
- Going on bike-rides
- Glitter
- Playing hide n'seek
- Decorating cookies
And of course......letting Georgia play with my hair. I've been waiting for a personal hair stylist for....forever. Just ask my sister.
Agh. And while we're coming clean....I have seriously fallen off track with my running. So sad. Just....why can't it be more fun?
Your right, we all have things which we do for our children but loathe.
ReplyDeleteI live out in the sticks, and my children didn't really have a lot of interaction with other children so I used to take my children to Mother and Toddler groups twice a week in town.
I hated it, all those other mothers yaking on about how their children were perfect! I could never understand why the other mammy's couldn't see the perfect children were mine ;)
I went twice a week for 7 years, and hated every moment, my kids loved it... the social interaction with the other children and adults too, the different toys to play with, the more creative aspects, that I hadn't thought off.
Now, my children are 13 and 17, oh I would give anything to be back in those times, with lots of lovely years with my children still at home, and not have a child thinking about gap years in Peru (Every time she mentions Peru, I want to cry, I mean wtf, its not exactly the first place in the world you would think about going too!!!) and then on to Uni.
Luckily I still have quite a few more years with my boy, but thats a different story.
Ah, we love it really.
I am so with you on all fronts here....gosh there are some things I just hate hate hate doing..and we are just getting started at my house!!! Lol
ReplyDeleteM
Cute post! But... you’ve fallen off on the running?! What? Say it isn’t so! You were my inspiration! Get back on it, girl! I’m on week 6—still goin’ strong, although no visible results yet. Maybe that’s because I haven’t changed my eating habits AT ALL. I can’t give up ice cream and chips! Oh well.
ReplyDeleteOK, I just love For Real. There are MANY things I do for my kids that I'm not too fond of. But they're my kids. If you're a mom, you get that!
ReplyDelete