I need to find a better balance in my parenting. There are days like yesterday, where I ignored my kids desire to play with me all day long, so that I could do adult chores around the house; and then there are days like today, that feel like they revolve around making my kids happy. I feel like yesterday is the typical 60s-70s parenting style (did you know, that though parents work more than they did fifty years ago, they also spend more time with their kids then they did fifty years ago -- it's bizarre). Today is the typical 2014 parenting style. Neither are perfect. Kids do need parent time, or special time as we call it. But they don't need to constantly be indulged!
Anyway, here's how I indulged my kids today.
We went to the Planes: Fire and Rescue matinee. It was pretty great, for a cartoon. I love me some Yellowstone adventure, even if the scenery is animated. Also, the wildfire excitement is close to my heart. After all, every Fall of my first 24 years of life was marked by when and where Utah's biggest wildfires raged. I've had several friends and family members who spent their summers fighting those mountain flames.
The whole thing scared poor Reid. We even packed up to head home at one point. He left the theater, certain Dusty was going to die, but as I went back to make sure we didn't leave anything behind he snuck back in and slowly made his way back to his seat. He gets pretty into movies. I think he just needed to get out of the theater and remember the big screen wasn't real life happening right before his eyes.
Nell, she was fabulous during the previews, and then she refused to sit through the rest. It was her first movie (and she isn't a movie/TV person), and she was nice and quiet. She just didn't want to sit still. She preferred standing and walking. She even tried to greet some of the kids. I'm sure she couldn't figure out why she was around so many people her size and none of them were playing together. Poor girl, but she was free and that's way cheaper than a babysitter.
Then, this evening Ben and I took the kids swimming at the Y. I did about 20 minutes of laps while Ben watched them jump into the pool from the side. I really think they did that the entire 20 minutes I swam. Once I was with them, we were able to take them down the slide. Nell loved it. "Gen! Gen!" she kept shouting when we'd finish.
They loved the swim time, and family time is invaluable. I really don't feel like I indulged them, but that's two pretty special kid oriented things in one day. They went to bed tired and happy. Sweet dreams my little ones.
Anyway, here's how I indulged my kids today.
We went to the Planes: Fire and Rescue matinee. It was pretty great, for a cartoon. I love me some Yellowstone adventure, even if the scenery is animated. Also, the wildfire excitement is close to my heart. After all, every Fall of my first 24 years of life was marked by when and where Utah's biggest wildfires raged. I've had several friends and family members who spent their summers fighting those mountain flames.
The whole thing scared poor Reid. We even packed up to head home at one point. He left the theater, certain Dusty was going to die, but as I went back to make sure we didn't leave anything behind he snuck back in and slowly made his way back to his seat. He gets pretty into movies. I think he just needed to get out of the theater and remember the big screen wasn't real life happening right before his eyes.
Nell, she was fabulous during the previews, and then she refused to sit through the rest. It was her first movie (and she isn't a movie/TV person), and she was nice and quiet. She just didn't want to sit still. She preferred standing and walking. She even tried to greet some of the kids. I'm sure she couldn't figure out why she was around so many people her size and none of them were playing together. Poor girl, but she was free and that's way cheaper than a babysitter.
Then, this evening Ben and I took the kids swimming at the Y. I did about 20 minutes of laps while Ben watched them jump into the pool from the side. I really think they did that the entire 20 minutes I swam. Once I was with them, we were able to take them down the slide. Nell loved it. "Gen! Gen!" she kept shouting when we'd finish.
They loved the swim time, and family time is invaluable. I really don't feel like I indulged them, but that's two pretty special kid oriented things in one day. They went to bed tired and happy. Sweet dreams my little ones.
1 comment:
Movies with the little ones! What fun memories your aroused...
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