Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Slacker Mom

When Penny was younger, she only ate homemade, organic baby food. I "wore" her everyday as an infant, and even now, when she needs extra snuggles, I strap her to my chest to keep her close. I researched vaccines, gentle disciplining, and safer toys. We have made an attempt to go green and keep her safe from harsh chemicals. All these things came naturally. It was not a sacrifice to give my daughter the very best.

But Mother of the Year, I most definitely am not. I suck at playing. I lack motivation to find new & fun things to do to help fill her days. Bryan will get down on the ground with her, making forts out of over sized pillows & fluffy blankets, and I wonder why I couldn't think to do that. This is one part of parenting that does not come easily for me.



As the weather is cooling, I have decided to make a serious effort to get us out of the house to play. We've been walking to the park this week in the mornings, before the day gets too warm, and it has been wonderful for both of us. Penny has discovered that the best thing about the playground is not the slides & swings, but the giant sticks that litter the ground. She enjoys the walk to and from, watching the crows fly overhead and waving bye-bye to every passing car.

These outings need to become a regular part of our routine. Penny needs it and most definitely deserves the little bit of effort it requires of me. I can do this for her. I hope I don't forget too quickly how the little things make such a difference.




2 comments:

Traylor Family said...

I stopped giving Lucas vaccines and he stopped getting sick! Go figure. In the beginning I was too emotional to make decisions for myself and so I listed to others and doctors. Now I'm able to stand up for what I know inside is best for my son. He's so much healthier and happier too.

Anonymous said...

I'm so much like you. I'll research everything to death (you should see the stacks I already have on kindergartens...). I want to make the best choices I can for Jonah. But I am just not a player. I'd rather observe him playing. I'm happy to go out and do things with him. And reading books, coloring, etc. are all fun for me. But pretending? Being a Ninja Turtle? Playing with action figures? Ugh. I hate it. It bores me to tears. I think it's why I'm always dragging Jonah to different places - so I don't have to pretend to be a ninja or race cars at home.