Rambling post is rambling... AKA "My name is Cathy and I'm a Party Pooper. Help me!"
I always have great expectations of a nice, lazy and mellow summer. Back when the girls were toddlers, I vowed that they would not be among the throngs of over-programmed kids, activities every day, playdates every weekend, etc. I swore they would have lots of time just to play outside and have unstructured fun. I have great memories of running wild in our neighborhood with my little brother Bobby and our good friends, Andrew and Mark Hall, and the rest of the kids on our street. Playing everywhere, riding bikes (in the street! without helmets!) all over the place, stopping in one of our houses for Kool Aid and peanut butter & fluff sandwiches, then back outside. No TV, no video games (until later when we got Atari), no helicopter parents. Just the joy of being free of school and able to use our imaginations. Funerals for random dead animals we'd find (yuck!), making "witch's brew" in the flooded window wells of the Halls' house (unsanitary, hey!), climbing alarmingly high in their massive Japanese maple tree (and only one of us ever fell and broke his arm), playing in the huge drain pipes that went from one yard to another under the street (shudder), we had no fear. We all survived, more or less unscathed. Life was good!
I have done a pretty good job of not over-structuring the girls - we stick to one activity at a time and really don't schedule many playdates, preferring to just play with whomever happens to be outside in the neighborhood. But somehow their play seems to lack the free and easy, relaxed summer attitude I recall from my childhood. Soccer camp started this morning and they had fun with that. It will go through Friday. This afternoon they are outside with our next door neighbors. They get along well and seem to have a good time together. But I have drilled so many rules into my girls - don't go in the road, always stay together, don't touch dead animals, don't climb trees, definitely DEFINITELY don't play in drain pipes! I know that these rules make sense and I don't regret declaring them to the girls, just wish I hadn't drilled them in quite so hard. I feel like I'm the Party Pooper parent - their dad lets them stick their heads out the windows in his car (all the way!) and then he blasts Queen or U2 and they absolutely have a ball! Meanwhile, I'm in the passenger seat with tight lips and white knuckles. When did I become such a worry-wart??? What is the solution??? I know I want to lighten up and let them have some fun, but how do I get myself there???
We spent 17 wonderful days in Ireland with my husband's family in June. They have a terrific "ah screw it, let them have fun" attitude that I need to learn for myself. The thing is, I don't know when I lost it! I used to be a really fun person (just ask anyone who knew me way back when) in my younger years. Why has becoming a mom turned me into such an uptight stick in the mud? In a couple weeks, we will be heading back East to visit my parents in NJ (YEAH, JERSEY STRONG!) and I really want to try to relax and just let the girls play and have fun. I need to remember that they are smart, good girls and let them enjoy their time down the Shore with their cousins. Leave the Party Pooper hat at home, or better yet, throw it out the minivan window on the Ohio turnpike.
If you see me posting any Harsh Mom status updates on FB, please remind me that I used to be fun. And that it's not too late to be fun again. I need the reminders.
Maybe I'll get a tattoo that says BE FUN! ... OK, probably not. ;)
I have done a pretty good job of not over-structuring the girls - we stick to one activity at a time and really don't schedule many playdates, preferring to just play with whomever happens to be outside in the neighborhood. But somehow their play seems to lack the free and easy, relaxed summer attitude I recall from my childhood. Soccer camp started this morning and they had fun with that. It will go through Friday. This afternoon they are outside with our next door neighbors. They get along well and seem to have a good time together. But I have drilled so many rules into my girls - don't go in the road, always stay together, don't touch dead animals, don't climb trees, definitely DEFINITELY don't play in drain pipes! I know that these rules make sense and I don't regret declaring them to the girls, just wish I hadn't drilled them in quite so hard. I feel like I'm the Party Pooper parent - their dad lets them stick their heads out the windows in his car (all the way!) and then he blasts Queen or U2 and they absolutely have a ball! Meanwhile, I'm in the passenger seat with tight lips and white knuckles. When did I become such a worry-wart??? What is the solution??? I know I want to lighten up and let them have some fun, but how do I get myself there???
We spent 17 wonderful days in Ireland with my husband's family in June. They have a terrific "ah screw it, let them have fun" attitude that I need to learn for myself. The thing is, I don't know when I lost it! I used to be a really fun person (just ask anyone who knew me way back when) in my younger years. Why has becoming a mom turned me into such an uptight stick in the mud? In a couple weeks, we will be heading back East to visit my parents in NJ (YEAH, JERSEY STRONG!) and I really want to try to relax and just let the girls play and have fun. I need to remember that they are smart, good girls and let them enjoy their time down the Shore with their cousins. Leave the Party Pooper hat at home, or better yet, throw it out the minivan window on the Ohio turnpike.
If you see me posting any Harsh Mom status updates on FB, please remind me that I used to be fun. And that it's not too late to be fun again. I need the reminders.
Maybe I'll get a tattoo that says BE FUN! ... OK, probably not. ;)