I am not what I would consider a fun mom. Sure I am a good mom. I love my children and enjoy playing with them and teaching them new things. Let me explain. I hate play dough. I hate paints and glitter. I hate cheesy chips and popsicles and pretty much anything messy. It doesn't mean my children never get to do these things, that is what their dad is for! He is the one who picks out these messy and fun toys for them. He loves to see them get creative and just get a bit dirty. I on the other hand have to leave the room while this is going on. I don't know why, all I know is that I inherited this OCD from my mom. I am trying. I really am.
My mother-in-law is totally a fun mom (or grandma.) When she came to visit she had a pajama party with the girls complete with make-overs. She even let Jolie do her makeup. It was sooooo fun! My good friend Teresa will just give her boys a bucket of water and just watch comfortably as they get soaked and dirty. How I envy her! Her kids get to have so much fun every day. Hmmm, maybe that's why my kids love to go over there so much.
My new goal is to lighten up about this stuff. Especially with a new baby coming. I am going to have less control than ever. I want my kids to remember the fun and unexpected things they did with me. I don't want them to remember their mother as obsessive and controlling.
Does anyone else have issues with this as well? How do you deal with the messes and just let things roll off your back?
Monday, April 21, 2008
No Fun
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
My friend, who also has a fear of messes, has her kids do messy stuff in the bathtub--like eating popsicles, etc. I thought it was genius.
You mean to tell me your kids have not enjoyed the simple pleasures of digging for indian clay(cat poop) at a playground or sand box?!
My father was really OCD about messes when I was very young. With his five boys in a constant state of house’l abuse and chaotic destruction, he eventually let it all go. “Run screaming,” “its ok we’ll buy another one,” “break it, break it” “oh, I don’t worry about things anymore.” And these sayings came after years of forcing us to stay home on Saturdays to clean for eight hours straight, before we could go to the beach. So what I am suggesting to you is that kids tend to break down many barriers. Isn’t that exciting? Eventually you will be greasing bicycle chains in the kitchen and making play-doh statues on the carpet.
Last week my mother was over here checking out our newly decorated baby room. I was telling her how susceptible our new one-thousand dollar furniture set was to scratching. Her exact words were, “oh, don’t worry about fixing it, soon enough your kids will be playing in the drawers and it will all fall apart.”
Yes Fun! I can’t wait...
See...I think I might have the opposite problem. I admire your organization and cleanliness. Plus when I was little I used to do things like dunk all my hair in a mud puddle etc. I am already afraid I am going to be one of those moms who's children are always filthy. I think you just embrace your OCD, and realize that there is a lot of good to be gained from having clean and comfortable children, and then the times when you want to let loose, just focus on the moment like you have written about before, or do fun and unexpected things that aren't too messy. I think the popsicle in the bathtub idea is excellent.
I would have to completely disagree with you, Katie. I can't tell you how many times I have sat there and thought of ways I can be more like you in the mothering profession. As far as I have witnessed, your girls love their fun lives. You get them involved in pre-school, you sing and dance with them, you watch them put on cute puppet shows. If you weren't doing such a great job as their mom they wouldn't have as much of a crazy imagination as they do. Well, we do have to give Landon some credit in the imaginative realm, but you have a lot to do with it, too. I can tell Jolie and Lucy feel 'free'. Anyways, I do have to relate with you with the messes, though. I have a really hard time watching Miles get messy, just because I know how hard it is to get stains out of clothes, and quite frankly, I'm not a huge fan of giving baths. Good thing Dillon fills in for me in that arena. You are a fabulous mom... even if you don't let your girls get filthy. Just wait until this boy comes along, and he pretty much FORCES you to let him get dirty! :)
oh katie that is so funny because yesterday I was just scolding myself because I was feeling like I wasn't a fun mom and here you are telling people I am! wierd how we see ourselves in such a different way as other people. Anyway I think you are a great mom your girls are always so happy and when kids are happy it means we are doing our job! So don't sweat the small stuff you will loosen up as life goes on. Thanks for being such a great friend.
Post a Comment