I feel guilty that I don't get my kids to a lot of extra curricular stuff. We don't get out and go to the library once a week, they've never been a part of organized sports or dance lessons. I feel like we had three so quickly, that I never really could get a grip on a schedule, or meet a sign up deadline. I don't necessarily think that they are missing out hugely, since these were not things I did as an elementary school student, either. I did a lot of tromping through the woods, creek walking, things that were beautiful and wonderful, but also maybe fed my introverted personality a bit. Maybe if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick what I had as a kid. Sports will be there eventually, though I never really felt like I had a grip on it. But I'm just not that naturally driven or coordinated.
My little people are something extraordinary. They love me so much. It's hard to feel like I'm doing a poor job when they fight to be next to me. Tonight, after I put my little boy to sleep, disentangled his chubby little arms from around my neck and kissed him, I snuggled down with the girls. They were hanging out with Dan, and when I lay down with them, they crowded on either side of me, not content to be simply beside me, but positioned themselves half on me, overlapped close as close, arms around me, little trusting hands finding my hands. We all fell asleep that way, warm and piled up, like a bunch of puppies. That's their favorite way to be. They would sleep like that all night. I'm old, though, and my back just can't take it. So now I get to go deposit them in their beds, tuck them in, and make sure they're still warm and cozy.
About that guilt, though, that I should be doing more... do all Moms feel that way, or guilt that they are doing too much, expecting too much? It seems like a built-in part of parenting, that guilt. Maybe it's just our way of caring, of wanting the best. Don't let the guilt beat you up. It's probably there, whatever the situation.
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I often wonder about the amount of scheduled things I put my kids into, or don't put my kids into. Around here it is not unusual for kids to have 3 to5 extra things a week. I barely manage one dance class for Lily and one sports activity for Bruce. Then again, I suppose I feel like all that planned activity is sucking up time to be creative and loving and all that so I like that we do only a few things. I am usually happy with this until I hear or read about all the other things available to the kids and then I worry I'm limiting them. and back and forth and back and forth I go. I suppose in some ways I am glad to be limited by cost so that we do only what we love best and try to live some kind of harmony in our lives.....
Definitely, Bridget! We need to get out a little more, but no more than one activity per child per season would be my limit, until they can drive themselves all over God's creation! I just need to get them into something, so they can have a chance to find something they love, apart from what I love :)
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