"Look, Mommy!" said Rachel. She was pointing at another middle-aged woman energetically digging a hole in the sand with her son. "There's a mommy that plays with her kids!"
I'd like to say that her wistful tone goaded me away from my book; but I'd be lying. I harbor absolutely no desire to play in the sand with my kids. That's what siblings are for.
Just keeping my Idle Parenting credentials fresh...
[Photo credit: thundafunda]
I totally agree. Siblings are for playing, moms are for reading aloud, kissing booboos, washing clothes and occasionally singing a lullaby.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, tonight at her soccer practice my daughter (8) said to me "some of the GOOD mothers sit on the field and watch their kids play." They really know how to lay on the guilt don't they!
ReplyDelete"Expecting Adam" rocked my world.
ReplyDeleteI took pictures of my kids playing in the sand, because I love photography and I forgot to bring a book. Yours sounds like a terrific one.
ReplyDeleteI like sitting in the mud and digging. Not the whole time, of course, but I often think that going to the beach with kids is a good excuse to play in the mud. Without the kids along, I'd just get looked at funny.
ReplyDelete"Great article," he typed as his daughter slid around the room on a picture book while yelling, "I'm snowboarding daddy. I'm snowboarding!"
ReplyDelete"That idle parenting article is great," he typed as his daughter slid around the room on a picture book while yelling, "I'm snowboarding daddy. I'm snowboarding!"
ReplyDeleteOh, that stings.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't into playing with my kids either. I decided early on that if they brought me a book, I'd drop whatever I was doing and sit and read to them.
Candyland and whatever, not on your life!
That is EXACTLY why I didn't stop at one kid. Although when they're at each others throats I tend to wish I had...
ReplyDeleteThis is why I love you. ('You' obviously being your blog because I've never actually met you. My husband reminds me of that every time I read a blog I can completely relate to and I exclaim, I LOVE her!) I can't tell you how many times I've used that line, "That's why you have siblings!"
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Hold the line. Sheesh, what was that other mother thinking?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that why we had more than one child? I read to them, tend their wounds (if no one else is home, I don't do blood well) and cook/clean/wash clothes for them. They have plenty of older siblings to play with them. It teaches the older ones patience and empathy, or so I tell myself...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty much the same way. I don't remember my mom EVER playing with me.
ReplyDeleteMy sisters and I are with you on that! We learned it from our mom.
ReplyDeleteThis is the problem of having an only child. Unless we can find other kids, I'm stuck digging holes in the sand and looking for hermit crabs...
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time to visit your blog and I actually like it. I have a knack in searching for blogs related to Tummy Tankz.
ReplyDeleteBeats me how my blog is related to Tummy Tankz...
ReplyDelete