As we prepare for a 100+ degree day (only the 3rd this summer if you're at all interested in keeping up on Idaho's weather, it's been mild) Bailey and I go back and forth between front and back yard, watering, putting away everything that I don't want to get faded by super intense sun, and covering up our beloved *tramp.
*trampoline- if you didn't know because you don't live in Boise. We also have something called "fry sauce," and little flags you hold when crossing streets on foot.
Bailey follows me around the huge circle as I strap down the tarp along the edges and sternly tells me "NO." Covering the tramp means we are done jumping for the day. I can see how this is mind blowing to my 2 year old since the day has barely begun. I mean, she hasn't even demanded her first snack yet. I gave the girls their chance to get all the jumping in before 10am, before it hits 90 and creeps up from there. Mama won't be jumping in today's gnarly temps until the sun goes down. I can handle heat, but working on my Russians and Herkies in peak sun? I have my limits.
I catch myself during our interaction...being VERBOSE. What else is new?
Perhaps it's my former teacher coming out or too much caffeine in my world but I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING to my kids, almost to my, scratch that, OUR detriment. I don't tell her "Sun makes Trampy hot so Mommy cover!" in a patronizing Mama voice. I explain, like a human, how the 100 degree forecast will be just too much for us and we want our tramp to last for years to come, it IS mommy's refuge, so we cover it up promptly on days like today.
I pride myself on my children's vocabularies BUT when is enough, enough and too much just TOO. MUCH?
I want them to understand what the heck is going on and be ahead of the game, in life! I remember in the earliest years of Elementary school, certain kids (who were clearly exposed to a lot, in a good way) knew about so many things! Like Sean O'Neil riding in an airplane and having pictures and verbiage to go along with it the Monday after. I was so impressed even at six years old! I don't know what he's up to now but in my mind, he's still a genius!
This all seems like good stuff but I'm fairly certain as the days go on, I am way more exhausted caring for my kids and household than I maybe should be. Not only am I physically running all over, playing dollies, "Don't break the Ice" (then setting it up again, you know what I'm sayin), changing diapers, but I'm also giving lectures on how every little thing in life and in our house WORKS. Why it works that way, why we don't TOUCH it, whatever! There's gotta be a line, that I'm definitely crossing, daily.
So like everything else in parenting I am beginning to rely on discernment. Discernment in each situation...what to explain, how to explain, how to correct and how about if it's even appropriate to be correcting (or forbidding) in that moment. I had a friend (and she read a book) that discussed the difference between rule and preference. When you say "NO" is it because they're about to break a rule or because you'd prefer them to do something a different way? This then begs the question, are you giving your kid space to be different than YOU? That's a hard one 'cause you are the greatest. So am I, totally get it. The real deal is they are supposed to be them, their God-given little self.
My four year old loves, absolutely loves, to take SO MANY things out and just pile them up. Think "treasure pile," "pillow pile," "Playing school" on the area rug with every stuffed animal we own IN A PILE. It makes me nutso. I've actually walked in on this at the end of a tiring day and burst into tears. But it is her JAM. Big time. Do I prefer these activities? Nope. But it is okay for her to do these things as long as she's not destroying something (including little sis) in the process.
Ok I digressed...It's the verbose thing.
Along the same lines of picking the battles, and there are so many that can be "picked" on a given day, I (maybe we?) need to pick the explanations. If I weren't with my children all day, would their little brains be full of mush? No. They would begin to understand the world around them naturally. It is not 100% up to me to drain all energy and brain power explaining everything to them. There are those moments where they synthesize and regurgetate information and I go YEA BABY that's all me! WOOH! But guess what? If I yelled at them later that afternoon (after all the awesome long and drawn out, information) because I was unnecessarily exhausted, was it worth it? Probably not. Not every day, regardless of what all the Instagram Influencers are telling you, is the last chance, for anything...including sharing life's endless details with your four and two year old.
So chill out MOM.
Okay fine.
Time to switch the sprinkler
and go look at someone's completed puzzle (bragging)
Happy Monday.
*trampoline- if you didn't know because you don't live in Boise. We also have something called "fry sauce," and little flags you hold when crossing streets on foot.
Bailey follows me around the huge circle as I strap down the tarp along the edges and sternly tells me "NO." Covering the tramp means we are done jumping for the day. I can see how this is mind blowing to my 2 year old since the day has barely begun. I mean, she hasn't even demanded her first snack yet. I gave the girls their chance to get all the jumping in before 10am, before it hits 90 and creeps up from there. Mama won't be jumping in today's gnarly temps until the sun goes down. I can handle heat, but working on my Russians and Herkies in peak sun? I have my limits.
I catch myself during our interaction...being VERBOSE. What else is new?
Perhaps it's my former teacher coming out or too much caffeine in my world but I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING to my kids, almost to my, scratch that, OUR detriment. I don't tell her "Sun makes Trampy hot so Mommy cover!" in a patronizing Mama voice. I explain, like a human, how the 100 degree forecast will be just too much for us and we want our tramp to last for years to come, it IS mommy's refuge, so we cover it up promptly on days like today.
I pride myself on my children's vocabularies BUT when is enough, enough and too much just TOO. MUCH?
I want them to understand what the heck is going on and be ahead of the game, in life! I remember in the earliest years of Elementary school, certain kids (who were clearly exposed to a lot, in a good way) knew about so many things! Like Sean O'Neil riding in an airplane and having pictures and verbiage to go along with it the Monday after. I was so impressed even at six years old! I don't know what he's up to now but in my mind, he's still a genius!
This all seems like good stuff but I'm fairly certain as the days go on, I am way more exhausted caring for my kids and household than I maybe should be. Not only am I physically running all over, playing dollies, "Don't break the Ice" (then setting it up again, you know what I'm sayin), changing diapers, but I'm also giving lectures on how every little thing in life and in our house WORKS. Why it works that way, why we don't TOUCH it, whatever! There's gotta be a line, that I'm definitely crossing, daily.
So like everything else in parenting I am beginning to rely on discernment. Discernment in each situation...what to explain, how to explain, how to correct and how about if it's even appropriate to be correcting (or forbidding) in that moment. I had a friend (and she read a book) that discussed the difference between rule and preference. When you say "NO" is it because they're about to break a rule or because you'd prefer them to do something a different way? This then begs the question, are you giving your kid space to be different than YOU? That's a hard one 'cause you are the greatest. So am I, totally get it. The real deal is they are supposed to be them, their God-given little self.
My four year old loves, absolutely loves, to take SO MANY things out and just pile them up. Think "treasure pile," "pillow pile," "Playing school" on the area rug with every stuffed animal we own IN A PILE. It makes me nutso. I've actually walked in on this at the end of a tiring day and burst into tears. But it is her JAM. Big time. Do I prefer these activities? Nope. But it is okay for her to do these things as long as she's not destroying something (including little sis) in the process.
Ok I digressed...It's the verbose thing.
Along the same lines of picking the battles, and there are so many that can be "picked" on a given day, I (maybe we?) need to pick the explanations. If I weren't with my children all day, would their little brains be full of mush? No. They would begin to understand the world around them naturally. It is not 100% up to me to drain all energy and brain power explaining everything to them. There are those moments where they synthesize and regurgetate information and I go YEA BABY that's all me! WOOH! But guess what? If I yelled at them later that afternoon (after all the awesome long and drawn out, information) because I was unnecessarily exhausted, was it worth it? Probably not. Not every day, regardless of what all the Instagram Influencers are telling you, is the last chance, for anything...including sharing life's endless details with your four and two year old.
So chill out MOM.
Okay fine.
Time to switch the sprinkler
and go look at someone's completed puzzle (bragging)
Happy Monday.
I thought it was funny that the room I write from even has decor with too many words.
Then I realized my shirt and hat also said things.
Sheesh.
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