Man did we have a great day of skiing yesterday. The kids had been waiting all week for this day, and when it finally arrived, we took full advantage of it. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm (30 degrees), and literally nobody there. It was almost strange, and J pointed out that some people just have to find something to complain about. Point taken.
The Quechee Hill is such a great place to ski for us, great learning hill, convenient and extremely well maintained. And a lot of our friends work/ski there. We got to the hill late morning and literally skied til they closed. We had a few spills, which are a bummer, but for the most part, it was a great day. We were amongst maybe five or six people skiing, and until the afternoon, when the people showed up en mass, the hill was all ours.
On the subject of milestones, the kids skied their first black diamond run, though at Quechee you have to take that with a grain of salt. Either way, they went for it, and they skied it like pros. Our days on the rope tow and T-bar may be numbered, though I still think the T-bar run is fun. Ironic how the easier hills to ski are the hardest to get up. Also, N did the T-bar all by himself, though he didn't enjoy it, and I think I'll have to ride up with him, if we in fact continue on it.
Since we were there all day, we naturally had to break for lunch and opted for the food at the lodge, which meant that we were in no way going to eat vegan, though S, who works there, is a vegan and had somehow scored a veggie burger. Our lunch consisted of bacon cheeseburgers, chicken strips, and fries. Talk about junk food. I'd made vegan lentil stew for dinner to counteract the garbage we ate for lunch, though I have to confess, it was tasty. It made us all a little sick.
By the time we got back out on the snow, our friends were beginning to show up. The kids were getting tired, but they powered on, and we managed to get a ton of skiing in, though A took quite a spill. She bounced back up and kept going. And N, in his quest to keep up, was simply incredible in his skiing.
All in all, I was so proud of them for making such huge strides. They set their minds to something, took a couple of spills, but persevered. Now they love skiing, they can't get a enough, and I'm more than happy to help them along.
I tried snowboarding with them but found that it wasn't so practical, so I think I'll stick with skiing, it just makes life simpler.
We're hoping to make it to Winter Fest but I have to go to the market and we have our day in Hanover, so it's conceivable that not only will we not make it there, but we more than likely won't get any skiing done. Bummer. But there's always tomorrow.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Homeward Bound
After several days of skiing, skating and getting around, yesterday we spent a mellow day at home making sure we got our school work done and just playing around the house while I got necessary chores done. And you know what? We had a great day.
A has been on a bit of domestic kick lately and has been extremely motivated to keep her room clean and orderly. Not sure where it's coming from, but it's really sweet and cute, and she's very diligent about it.
After we did our work, there were plenty of things to do outside, and the kids both joined me outside. The initial idea was that they were going to help me fill the wood box, and I had some reservations because the wood is very heavy and you get messy, not to mention you end up destroying your gloves. But in the end, they found assorted projects to do in the snow while I hauled wood.
In fact, I shoveled a path to their snow fort and they then spent the day detailing it icicles that I'd knocked off our roof. True, it's a bummer that they're there, but at least hey had a lot of fun with it. I guess in the end, it just confirms what every parent knows but can't always employ-kids can have fun with the simplest of things, and don't need fancy and expensive toys to be entertained. If anything, it dampens their imagination.
On that subject, don't even get me started on TV.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
A has been on a bit of domestic kick lately and has been extremely motivated to keep her room clean and orderly. Not sure where it's coming from, but it's really sweet and cute, and she's very diligent about it.
After we did our work, there were plenty of things to do outside, and the kids both joined me outside. The initial idea was that they were going to help me fill the wood box, and I had some reservations because the wood is very heavy and you get messy, not to mention you end up destroying your gloves. But in the end, they found assorted projects to do in the snow while I hauled wood.
In fact, I shoveled a path to their snow fort and they then spent the day detailing it icicles that I'd knocked off our roof. True, it's a bummer that they're there, but at least hey had a lot of fun with it. I guess in the end, it just confirms what every parent knows but can't always employ-kids can have fun with the simplest of things, and don't need fancy and expensive toys to be entertained. If anything, it dampens their imagination.
On that subject, don't even get me started on TV.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Dad on the Outside
I had this interesting series of experiences that really made me think a lot about a man's place in the parenting universe, or at least what I think is a man's place.
Mind you, a lot, if not all, of this stems from my own neurosis and projection, and in retrospect I realized that it was all in my head, but there was some pretty serious introspection going on there.
It all stemmed from my history coming back to haunt me. You see, I have a brother, T, who is a pathological liar. I mean he lies so much that at times it gets ridiculous, though if you didn't know him, you would absolutely buy into it because he's incredibly smooth and charming, and dare I say, good looking. At times, the lies come out of his mouth so profusely, you get a sense that he simply can't help it, so the best approach is to take everything he has to say with a grain of salt. It makes interacting with him difficult, to say the least.
Anyway, some more big lies of his recently came to light, and someone close to me pointed out that with a brother, mother, and father who lie so much to cover for themselves, how can I, by virtue of our blood, have not come out of it unpolluted. I.e., how can anyone assume that I'm not lying all the time, as well?
Well, besides being floored by that assertion, it got me thinking, how can I expect anyone who knows the truth about my family to believe me? I don't have self-esteem issues, but it did make me think that my brother is not the sort of person I would ever trust with our own children, and maybe part of that is because he's a man.
Then, that same day, we had a moment we had at the playground that seemed to solidify this notion. We had trouble getting out the door on time and when we'd finally managed to get to the rec center, it was almost 4:00PM, which meant that our friends had already been out there for at least an hour. Right at the moment that our kids ran over to join the kids, and when I subsequently sat down to oversee them, the teachers called themin and said it was time to go inside. Pure coincidence, I know, but I'd just read an article that day about a dad who was refused entry into a playgroup because he was a man, and my neurotic mind kicked into full gear and wondered, why are they leaving upon our arrival. Besides, now my kids had nobody to play with.
It really got me to thinking that it can be a bit awkward having a lone man around. It can change the whole dynamic of everything, and while it's perfectly acceptable for a woman to play with kids that aren't her own, there is no denying that it can be a little weird if a man did the same, especially if he didn't have any children of his own.
I realize I'm buying into the whole sexist stereotype of dads vs. moms on the playground, but when you really get down to it, there aren't too many creeps out there that are women. I guess, in the end, I understood the teacher's POV if they had reservations about a strange man, even if he was a dad with his kids, even if he did know him on a casual basis, lingering around the school kids. For that matter, I also understood if the parents voiced some concerns. Heck, I would have, or rather, I would have found out who this guy was.
It bummed me out, however, that there might be a possibility that our kids wouldn't have a group of kids to play with on a casual, unstructured basis, which exactly what the after-school program offers. So I resolved to resolve this issue, and the next day, I did what I would normally never do if I were on my own-I went and talked to the teachers.
Of course, I had a plan to go with it. I scrambled to clean up and get dinner ready so we could get out the door before school got out, so we could arrive when the after-school kids got there, of course. I also wanted to get there early enough so that if the teachers brought the kids in when we got there, then I'd know for sure something was up, and would come forward and inquire.
Well, it turns out, as always, my anxieties were completely unfounded. I was lucky in that B and MJ were out there, my chums, and they must have thought I was crazy (they were right) because they said not only was it fine for us to play with the school kids, but they loved for parents to be out there and involved, as well. Even if he was a scary looking dad like myself.
It didn't change the fact, at least in my mind, however, that it is still a little awkward to be a man in a woman's world. I don't know if I can hang with a large group of moms. In fact, I know I couldn't, but for all it's worth, I'm not good in large groups of any sort, so it's not just with moms. However, I find myself surrounded by moms on many occasions because that's the world I live in, and I'm willing to put myself in these uncomfortable (that's putting it lightly) situations, where I'm sure I'm not always welcome, of course, because it is what's best for my kids. They want to play with other kids in assorted situations, and the reality is, those situations involve mostly moms.
Life ain't easy being a SAHD, especially a neurotic one.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Mind you, a lot, if not all, of this stems from my own neurosis and projection, and in retrospect I realized that it was all in my head, but there was some pretty serious introspection going on there.
It all stemmed from my history coming back to haunt me. You see, I have a brother, T, who is a pathological liar. I mean he lies so much that at times it gets ridiculous, though if you didn't know him, you would absolutely buy into it because he's incredibly smooth and charming, and dare I say, good looking. At times, the lies come out of his mouth so profusely, you get a sense that he simply can't help it, so the best approach is to take everything he has to say with a grain of salt. It makes interacting with him difficult, to say the least.
Anyway, some more big lies of his recently came to light, and someone close to me pointed out that with a brother, mother, and father who lie so much to cover for themselves, how can I, by virtue of our blood, have not come out of it unpolluted. I.e., how can anyone assume that I'm not lying all the time, as well?
Well, besides being floored by that assertion, it got me thinking, how can I expect anyone who knows the truth about my family to believe me? I don't have self-esteem issues, but it did make me think that my brother is not the sort of person I would ever trust with our own children, and maybe part of that is because he's a man.
Then, that same day, we had a moment we had at the playground that seemed to solidify this notion. We had trouble getting out the door on time and when we'd finally managed to get to the rec center, it was almost 4:00PM, which meant that our friends had already been out there for at least an hour. Right at the moment that our kids ran over to join the kids, and when I subsequently sat down to oversee them, the teachers called themin and said it was time to go inside. Pure coincidence, I know, but I'd just read an article that day about a dad who was refused entry into a playgroup because he was a man, and my neurotic mind kicked into full gear and wondered, why are they leaving upon our arrival. Besides, now my kids had nobody to play with.
It really got me to thinking that it can be a bit awkward having a lone man around. It can change the whole dynamic of everything, and while it's perfectly acceptable for a woman to play with kids that aren't her own, there is no denying that it can be a little weird if a man did the same, especially if he didn't have any children of his own.
I realize I'm buying into the whole sexist stereotype of dads vs. moms on the playground, but when you really get down to it, there aren't too many creeps out there that are women. I guess, in the end, I understood the teacher's POV if they had reservations about a strange man, even if he was a dad with his kids, even if he did know him on a casual basis, lingering around the school kids. For that matter, I also understood if the parents voiced some concerns. Heck, I would have, or rather, I would have found out who this guy was.
It bummed me out, however, that there might be a possibility that our kids wouldn't have a group of kids to play with on a casual, unstructured basis, which exactly what the after-school program offers. So I resolved to resolve this issue, and the next day, I did what I would normally never do if I were on my own-I went and talked to the teachers.
Of course, I had a plan to go with it. I scrambled to clean up and get dinner ready so we could get out the door before school got out, so we could arrive when the after-school kids got there, of course. I also wanted to get there early enough so that if the teachers brought the kids in when we got there, then I'd know for sure something was up, and would come forward and inquire.
Well, it turns out, as always, my anxieties were completely unfounded. I was lucky in that B and MJ were out there, my chums, and they must have thought I was crazy (they were right) because they said not only was it fine for us to play with the school kids, but they loved for parents to be out there and involved, as well. Even if he was a scary looking dad like myself.
It didn't change the fact, at least in my mind, however, that it is still a little awkward to be a man in a woman's world. I don't know if I can hang with a large group of moms. In fact, I know I couldn't, but for all it's worth, I'm not good in large groups of any sort, so it's not just with moms. However, I find myself surrounded by moms on many occasions because that's the world I live in, and I'm willing to put myself in these uncomfortable (that's putting it lightly) situations, where I'm sure I'm not always welcome, of course, because it is what's best for my kids. They want to play with other kids in assorted situations, and the reality is, those situations involve mostly moms.
Life ain't easy being a SAHD, especially a neurotic one.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Finding Our Skis
Somehow last weekend we, or I guess I should say I, managed to lose my kid's skis. We don't unload the truck right away, so it wasn't apparent that her skis were missing until the next day. We spent a few moments staring at each other wondering, "What the heck did you do with her skis?"
Being the neurotic nut case that I am, I immediately put my pants on and told the kids to get dressed, thinking that we didn't have a moment to lose and we had to rush over to the ski hill and search for those skis. Eventually reason set in and cooler heads prevailed, and I concluded that nothing was going to change during the course of the day, so we headed over later in the day.
When we got to the ski hill, I combed the parking lot and the base of the hill, trying to retrace my steps and remember what I had done with those skis. Skis are not like sunglasses, they're rather big and not something that you can easily misplace, though I'd managed to somehow do exactly that.
The problem was that the hill was deserted, and there was nobody there to help. I finally walked across the grounds to the lodge, thinking there was a lost and found. Surprisingly, there were a bunch of guys hanging out, having lunch. I recognized them as the grounds crew, and they were extremely helpful. We checked out the lost and found, then the supply closet, but no skis. They told me I might have to wait until Friday when the hill opened and I could ask the ski patrol, but that was five days away, and the wait would have killed me.
Finally one of the guys mentioned that the ski patrol might have found them and just left them in their warming hut, which was locked but he had a key. He offered to unlock the room and let me have a look, and I jumped at the chance.
Sure enough, there they were, sitting in the corner, our little skis. I was so stoked, not so much for the financial aspect of it all, but more so for the symbolic nature of our kid's skis. That would have bummed me out, and probably woudn't have made her very happy, either.
The one thing that stuck in my mind was that we didn't give up. There were ample opportunities to do just that, because early on, it wasn't looking too good. We live in Vermont, and people are decent and don't, for the most part, do things like steal skis they find lying around. Sure, we lost a sled when we lived in the Red Barn, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn't taken by a local but rather someone from out of town, eating at Simon Pearce (how ironic is that?). Anyway, I figured that if we did in fact leave the skis at the hill, nobody was going to take them home, and that's how it ended.
Just a nice moment I wanted to share. Good vibes to be had.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Being the neurotic nut case that I am, I immediately put my pants on and told the kids to get dressed, thinking that we didn't have a moment to lose and we had to rush over to the ski hill and search for those skis. Eventually reason set in and cooler heads prevailed, and I concluded that nothing was going to change during the course of the day, so we headed over later in the day.
When we got to the ski hill, I combed the parking lot and the base of the hill, trying to retrace my steps and remember what I had done with those skis. Skis are not like sunglasses, they're rather big and not something that you can easily misplace, though I'd managed to somehow do exactly that.
The problem was that the hill was deserted, and there was nobody there to help. I finally walked across the grounds to the lodge, thinking there was a lost and found. Surprisingly, there were a bunch of guys hanging out, having lunch. I recognized them as the grounds crew, and they were extremely helpful. We checked out the lost and found, then the supply closet, but no skis. They told me I might have to wait until Friday when the hill opened and I could ask the ski patrol, but that was five days away, and the wait would have killed me.
Finally one of the guys mentioned that the ski patrol might have found them and just left them in their warming hut, which was locked but he had a key. He offered to unlock the room and let me have a look, and I jumped at the chance.
Sure enough, there they were, sitting in the corner, our little skis. I was so stoked, not so much for the financial aspect of it all, but more so for the symbolic nature of our kid's skis. That would have bummed me out, and probably woudn't have made her very happy, either.
The one thing that stuck in my mind was that we didn't give up. There were ample opportunities to do just that, because early on, it wasn't looking too good. We live in Vermont, and people are decent and don't, for the most part, do things like steal skis they find lying around. Sure, we lost a sled when we lived in the Red Barn, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn't taken by a local but rather someone from out of town, eating at Simon Pearce (how ironic is that?). Anyway, I figured that if we did in fact leave the skis at the hill, nobody was going to take them home, and that's how it ended.
Just a nice moment I wanted to share. Good vibes to be had.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Lightening Up
This past weekend I really suffered for being too eager, and it made me want to take a step back and lighten up. Then again, it ain't easy. It always boils down to what I perceive as looking out for everyone's best interest vs. everyone taking responsibility for their own interest. Does that make any sense? Perhaps an example might help clarify things.
We were supposed to make our way to Occom Pond this weekend for our usual Saturday excursion, and we generally get there in the late afternoon and skate until it gets dark, which is fine except that it's really cold and they take the marshmallows away by 4:30. And, we're squeezing in a trip to the library and hopefully to Coop, while my wife is at work. My reasoning is, the earlier we get there, the better, while everyone else is very laid back and won't motivate until the zero hour, and that's with us (or should I say, me?) hounding them. It boils down to my inability to lighten up, and if I weren't pushing everyone, we'd never make it out the door and get to do the things we want to do.
Now here's the problem-maybe the kids need to learn the hard way. I.e., if they don't motivate and get it together, then we can't go skiing and skating and other things. Should mom and dad be pushing them out the door to do something they love, when they should be motivated in and of themselves? Do they need to learn the consequences of the inaction? This never comes about because we enable them to have no sense of urgency by ensuring that we make it on time, but it's often like pulling teeth. What kills me is that if it came down to missing out on fun things, then we're the villains, it's our fault, but what do you expect when you're a parent?
Is it just that I need to lighten up? The truth is, there are times we'd never make it out the door if we didn't apply a little (or a lot) of pressure. On Sunday we were supposed to go skiing, and the kids were excited about it all week. Come Sunday, we were lounging around as the clock ticked away. I wanted to be there in the morning, but by late afternoon, it was looking almost as if we weren't going to pull it off. Needless to day, I was crawling up the walls, and at some point I decided that I really needed to lighten up and let the cards fall as they may.
We eventually made it to the slopes, but much later than I'd hoped. It was great day, everyone had a blast and we reached even more milestones. The kids were besides themselves and said they wanted to ski every day, and they couldn't wait until next weekend when we'd hit the slopes, but I know come Saturday, they're going to dragging their feet and if I don't push them, we're going to end up sitting around the house all day.
In the end, I guess I'll never really be able to lighten up, and I'll continue to nudge them a little to get them out the door. I'm beginning to wonder if we're suffering the negative consequence of homeschooling. Somehow, without the regular routine of being bounced out of bed and pushed out the door, kids become a bit unmotivated and soft. It makes it a challenge for everyone involved.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
We were supposed to make our way to Occom Pond this weekend for our usual Saturday excursion, and we generally get there in the late afternoon and skate until it gets dark, which is fine except that it's really cold and they take the marshmallows away by 4:30. And, we're squeezing in a trip to the library and hopefully to Coop, while my wife is at work. My reasoning is, the earlier we get there, the better, while everyone else is very laid back and won't motivate until the zero hour, and that's with us (or should I say, me?) hounding them. It boils down to my inability to lighten up, and if I weren't pushing everyone, we'd never make it out the door and get to do the things we want to do.
Now here's the problem-maybe the kids need to learn the hard way. I.e., if they don't motivate and get it together, then we can't go skiing and skating and other things. Should mom and dad be pushing them out the door to do something they love, when they should be motivated in and of themselves? Do they need to learn the consequences of the inaction? This never comes about because we enable them to have no sense of urgency by ensuring that we make it on time, but it's often like pulling teeth. What kills me is that if it came down to missing out on fun things, then we're the villains, it's our fault, but what do you expect when you're a parent?
Is it just that I need to lighten up? The truth is, there are times we'd never make it out the door if we didn't apply a little (or a lot) of pressure. On Sunday we were supposed to go skiing, and the kids were excited about it all week. Come Sunday, we were lounging around as the clock ticked away. I wanted to be there in the morning, but by late afternoon, it was looking almost as if we weren't going to pull it off. Needless to day, I was crawling up the walls, and at some point I decided that I really needed to lighten up and let the cards fall as they may.
We eventually made it to the slopes, but much later than I'd hoped. It was great day, everyone had a blast and we reached even more milestones. The kids were besides themselves and said they wanted to ski every day, and they couldn't wait until next weekend when we'd hit the slopes, but I know come Saturday, they're going to dragging their feet and if I don't push them, we're going to end up sitting around the house all day.
In the end, I guess I'll never really be able to lighten up, and I'll continue to nudge them a little to get them out the door. I'm beginning to wonder if we're suffering the negative consequence of homeschooling. Somehow, without the regular routine of being bounced out of bed and pushed out the door, kids become a bit unmotivated and soft. It makes it a challenge for everyone involved.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Confronting the Educational Dilemma
As we negotiate our way through the process of teaching the kids about government and history, it becomes clearer to me what a farce education can seem at times. I remember hating history and how it had no meaning or value to me. For the record, now that I'm older (much older), I love the subject, but when I was younger you couldn't have paid me to show any interest, and I see a bit of that in not only our kids, but in all kids. It just becomes a case of memorizing facts and regurgitating them for the benefit of the us adults. What does it really mean to a seven-year-old?
At the very least, we're finding our way, but only because as homeschoolers we have some flexibility in molding the lessons and optimizing our approach, though optimizing it is a stretch. I guess in the end, history is best learned with some context, and without that context, it just becomes a process of learning a bunch of facts... you guessed it, out of context. I don't have an answer, and I realize this is just the way it's done and the way it's gotta be, but it's a shame, in a way, that the subject has to be such a chore to learn. I struggle with this and am still searching for the holy grail of the interesting and fun approach to learning history. Something interactive that will grab their imagination would be best, so if you're reading this and have any thoughts, I'd welcome your advice. Until then, we're taking the public school approach and memorizing and regurgitating.
It works as far as placating the state, but we'd like to find something that bestow the kids with more meaning and maybe even, if I may be so bold, inspire them. Maybe a trip, or something interactive. I'm scouring the web for something fun and interesting, and from what little research I've done, feel optimistic that there is something out there.
In meantime, we'll continue to have fun with math and reading. Learning can be fun, as we all know, you just have to have the right attitude, and I'm not here to knock conventional schooling, but it's difficult to argue with the fact that it doesn't instill us with the best of attitudes about learning.
Thanks for reading.
At the very least, we're finding our way, but only because as homeschoolers we have some flexibility in molding the lessons and optimizing our approach, though optimizing it is a stretch. I guess in the end, history is best learned with some context, and without that context, it just becomes a process of learning a bunch of facts... you guessed it, out of context. I don't have an answer, and I realize this is just the way it's done and the way it's gotta be, but it's a shame, in a way, that the subject has to be such a chore to learn. I struggle with this and am still searching for the holy grail of the interesting and fun approach to learning history. Something interactive that will grab their imagination would be best, so if you're reading this and have any thoughts, I'd welcome your advice. Until then, we're taking the public school approach and memorizing and regurgitating.
It works as far as placating the state, but we'd like to find something that bestow the kids with more meaning and maybe even, if I may be so bold, inspire them. Maybe a trip, or something interactive. I'm scouring the web for something fun and interesting, and from what little research I've done, feel optimistic that there is something out there.
In meantime, we'll continue to have fun with math and reading. Learning can be fun, as we all know, you just have to have the right attitude, and I'm not here to knock conventional schooling, but it's difficult to argue with the fact that it doesn't instill us with the best of attitudes about learning.
Thanks for reading.
But Wait, There's More
Had another great day skiing and hit some milestones, as well. On Saturday we did our usual trip to Occom Pond, and I hate to admit this, but it lost a little of it's luster. I don't know why, but it just wasn't as fun, and the crowds were amazing. Must have just been a day to be out at the pond, but it was a little manic. It's hard to skate sometimes when there are so many people playing hockey, they seem to take over the ice. We were planning on going to Molly's with out three year old gift certificate, but the place was a zoo, so we went to our favorite place, Boloco, and weren't disappointed, as usual.
We were going to meet up with R&J at the pond, but they never showed up. Oh well, these things happen. We did see them at the Quechee Hill, however, and it was great to see them, though R was holed up in the lodge with Im. They're like us, doing the tag-team parenting thing, though they have the added burden of a baby. We also saw A's horse-riding teacher, who is an instructor, and our old neighbors. It's interesting her because she's (our old neighbor) always effusive about getting together, but I find it at times to be lip service, because in the end, she seems to have no interest in getting together, and it's somewhat redolent of "what have you done for me lately." I.e., she doesn't need us, so why bother. I base this assessment on the fact that, since we moved out and are no longer available to help out , she has completely blown us off, even after I'd made an effort to KIT with her. So I'll take it all with a grain of salt.
But wait, there's more. The biggest events were our kids' skiing. A is on fire, and close to being an independent skier, no longer needing mom or dad. She can ski down the chair lift like Bode Miller, and I think she's ready to try other trails. What really blew us away is that N just decided to try it, as well. And he nailed it, doing it a couple of times. I think our time on the rope tow is done.
Just goes to show you, you shouldn't rush kids. They'll do things on their own time, you just have to be patient. Besides, why is there such a need to make kids do things by a certain time? All these milestones that experts indicate to us all seem so contrived and arbitrary, but they serve all important purpose of making parents worry and feel guilt that they aren't doing their jobs. Most importantly, however, is that they make us spend our money on lessons, consultants, experts, and equipment/gear to get our kids up to speed. It's shameless, when you think about it, and though it's difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove yourself from it, I think it simply works to drive parents crazy and put a lot of unneccessary pressure on the kids to perform.
Kids will grow and develop and catch with up with their peers by themselves left to their own devices, it's just that we, the parents, feel an obligation to intervene.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
We were going to meet up with R&J at the pond, but they never showed up. Oh well, these things happen. We did see them at the Quechee Hill, however, and it was great to see them, though R was holed up in the lodge with Im. They're like us, doing the tag-team parenting thing, though they have the added burden of a baby. We also saw A's horse-riding teacher, who is an instructor, and our old neighbors. It's interesting her because she's (our old neighbor) always effusive about getting together, but I find it at times to be lip service, because in the end, she seems to have no interest in getting together, and it's somewhat redolent of "what have you done for me lately." I.e., she doesn't need us, so why bother. I base this assessment on the fact that, since we moved out and are no longer available to help out , she has completely blown us off, even after I'd made an effort to KIT with her. So I'll take it all with a grain of salt.
But wait, there's more. The biggest events were our kids' skiing. A is on fire, and close to being an independent skier, no longer needing mom or dad. She can ski down the chair lift like Bode Miller, and I think she's ready to try other trails. What really blew us away is that N just decided to try it, as well. And he nailed it, doing it a couple of times. I think our time on the rope tow is done.
Just goes to show you, you shouldn't rush kids. They'll do things on their own time, you just have to be patient. Besides, why is there such a need to make kids do things by a certain time? All these milestones that experts indicate to us all seem so contrived and arbitrary, but they serve all important purpose of making parents worry and feel guilt that they aren't doing their jobs. Most importantly, however, is that they make us spend our money on lessons, consultants, experts, and equipment/gear to get our kids up to speed. It's shameless, when you think about it, and though it's difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove yourself from it, I think it simply works to drive parents crazy and put a lot of unneccessary pressure on the kids to perform.
Kids will grow and develop and catch with up with their peers by themselves left to their own devices, it's just that we, the parents, feel an obligation to intervene.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
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