Hi moms!
I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! I, for one, am so thankful for the break from the "school routine." I love not having to worry about reviewing papers or signing papers or making sure homework assignments are done and correct. However, I have to admit that, at times, I feel pressure during summer break to make sure our eleven-year old, Alex, keeps up with his reading and math skills. I feel guilty for not spending more time making sure he reads 20 minutes a day or works on his math facts each week. During the school year, I end up feeling guilty that I'm not teaching Alex how to be more independent by getting his own breakfast, picking out his clothes, etc. If there is one thing that moms do very well, it is taking guilt trips. We know exactly where to go and what to pack.
On one of my recent "guilt" trips, I took Alex to the grocery store and on several other errands that I had to do. I was thinking to myself that I really just wanted to spend some time with Alex this summer. We haven't even made it to the pool together yet and it is mid-July. Alex must have sensed what I was thinking because he said, "why is it that on your days off, we always have to do the errands?" Now, honestly, there were several ways I wanted to answer that question. Part of me wanted to sound selfish and say, "Yeah, why do I have to be the one doing the grocery shopping, paying the bills and keeping up with the housework on my days off?" Part of me wanted to say, "Because that's what moms do." Part of me wanted to kick my own butt for not letting some things go and just having fun with Alex. I realized that I could take this opportunity to complain or I could be thankful that I have this opportunity to teach Alex some necessary life skills like grocery shopping. He needs to learn that grocery shopping is not always fun, it takes time to go through the store, sort your groceries, pack your groceries, load your groceries in the car and then unpack your groceries and put them away when you get home. I think by having him participate in this one "chore," he can better understand how much time this can take and what you have to go through to have food on the table. It is, also, an opportunity for me to teach my son how to read labels, how to make wise purchases, and why you can't have every food item just because it looks good. This is not the first time I have taken Alex grocery shopping with me; however, for some reason, he seemed to understand during this trip that his time will come when he will have to know how to do the grocery shopping and other necessary life skills. I felt like we connected on a different level this time. I felt like we had taken one step down the road of independence! My trip destination this time wasn't "Guilt City." As a matter of fact, I already have other "life skills" I can't wait to teach Alex this summer (like the laundry)!
Moms, I don't know about you, but, during the school year, I find that I am so busy overseeing school work and getting ready for the next day that I don't always get to focus as much as I would like on the every day life skills that are so important. In my opinion, schools should offer more classes that teach basic life skills and make them mandatory. When I went to school, we took home economics, shop, and family life/parenting classes. Regardless of whether you go on to technical school, college or just find a job after high school, children need to know these basic life skills. They need to know how to balance a checkbook!
Are you wondering how I answered Alex's question, "Why is it that on your days off, we always have to do the errands?" Well, after I had time to think and we headed out of the parking lot, I gave him an honest answer to his question. "I do the errands because I only work part-time outside the home. Dad works a lot more hours. I am blessed to have a flexible job and to have the extra time with you, even if it is spent doing errands." He seemed to have a new appreciation for me that day, his mom and summer teacher!
On one of my recent "guilt" trips, I took Alex to the grocery store and on several other errands that I had to do. I was thinking to myself that I really just wanted to spend some time with Alex this summer. We haven't even made it to the pool together yet and it is mid-July. Alex must have sensed what I was thinking because he said, "why is it that on your days off, we always have to do the errands?" Now, honestly, there were several ways I wanted to answer that question. Part of me wanted to sound selfish and say, "Yeah, why do I have to be the one doing the grocery shopping, paying the bills and keeping up with the housework on my days off?" Part of me wanted to say, "Because that's what moms do." Part of me wanted to kick my own butt for not letting some things go and just having fun with Alex. I realized that I could take this opportunity to complain or I could be thankful that I have this opportunity to teach Alex some necessary life skills like grocery shopping. He needs to learn that grocery shopping is not always fun, it takes time to go through the store, sort your groceries, pack your groceries, load your groceries in the car and then unpack your groceries and put them away when you get home. I think by having him participate in this one "chore," he can better understand how much time this can take and what you have to go through to have food on the table. It is, also, an opportunity for me to teach my son how to read labels, how to make wise purchases, and why you can't have every food item just because it looks good. This is not the first time I have taken Alex grocery shopping with me; however, for some reason, he seemed to understand during this trip that his time will come when he will have to know how to do the grocery shopping and other necessary life skills. I felt like we connected on a different level this time. I felt like we had taken one step down the road of independence! My trip destination this time wasn't "Guilt City." As a matter of fact, I already have other "life skills" I can't wait to teach Alex this summer (like the laundry)!
Moms, I don't know about you, but, during the school year, I find that I am so busy overseeing school work and getting ready for the next day that I don't always get to focus as much as I would like on the every day life skills that are so important. In my opinion, schools should offer more classes that teach basic life skills and make them mandatory. When I went to school, we took home economics, shop, and family life/parenting classes. Regardless of whether you go on to technical school, college or just find a job after high school, children need to know these basic life skills. They need to know how to balance a checkbook!
Are you wondering how I answered Alex's question, "Why is it that on your days off, we always have to do the errands?" Well, after I had time to think and we headed out of the parking lot, I gave him an honest answer to his question. "I do the errands because I only work part-time outside the home. Dad works a lot more hours. I am blessed to have a flexible job and to have the extra time with you, even if it is spent doing errands." He seemed to have a new appreciation for me that day, his mom and summer teacher!
Blessings!
Kathleen
2 comments :
This was an amazing post! Thanks so much Kathleen, I needed this.
You are so awesome! Keep up the great work!
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