Story Time Win!

Clara and I had a huge breakthrough today which I will get to in a minute.  I first have to say something about a pretty disgusting and disheartening post that popped into my facebook news feed a few times today.

I notice that lots of people have been brought over here by a "Chicago Now" blogger's post about "Mommy Wars".  

Let me assure you that this blog post is not written to start a mommy war.  

Only to throw out a few suggestions on how people can still celebrate the "silly" hallmark holidays with their children without breaking the bank or making crazy crafts that would take days to conduct.  

Like paper-mache earths.

Carry on.

It has to do with this article here.

(Before I say my piece, we all know what opinions are like and that we all have one.  This is just my opinion on this subject.)

If you don't want to read the article I will summarize it for you.

This mommy blogger is pissed off because her oldest child wants to help her and her husband make St. Patrick's day fun for his younger siblings by asking her this.

"Can I help you guys hide the gold coins?" he asked. The WHAT?  "The gold coins. I know the leprechauns aren't real. I know it's you, like Santa. So I want to help you. I can make the leprechaun trap, too."

Then she tells you how when her kids woke up disappointed, they threw fits and she didn't care because every holiday under the sun has been over-commercialized.  She also tells you she is a real life mom who doesn't "pinterest" all holidays for her kids and is happy that she can just get everything she needs to done in a day including spending bathing her kids, helping them with homework and having normal quality time at the dinner table with a homemade meal every night.

After reading the article I immediately didn't like the woman.  

The tone she set in this article wasn't funny. 

It was mean.  

And directed at her children.  

For all the world to see.

This person's comment towards the article is exactly how I feel as well.

Yeah, it's weird how like when kids are born they like have these needs and we're like supposed to take care of them and feed them and then they like grow bigger and we have to like read to them and help them with their math homework and play outside with them and even give them baths...and like sometimes we even have to do silly things for them because they are children and they like to be silly and enjoy their childhood before the actual stress of life kicks in and they are forced to deal with situations and events that are not silly or fun. Seriously, all we need is one more HuffPost blogger complaining about the horrors of being a parent!

Amen.

Suck it up, Kristen Howerton.  Go give your kids a childhood.  

I am a single mother turned into a stay at home mother.  I understand that sometimes you feel worked to the bone.  I understand that this role as a mother may feel like a chore.  However if you live in America, like me, then you have the the choice to have, and/or, keep your children.  

It's not like you are the first person in the face of the planet to have children.  You knew what you were getting yourself into.

I'm sure you knew before going into this lifelong, exhausting wonderful job, that it is in fact a life long, exhausting and wonderful job.

So suck it up.

 Pretty soon your children will be as old, cynical and bitter as you, Ms. Howerton, and you will miss their wide eyed wonder.  Instead of seeing - and turning -  these little moments as negative, why not give them a few positive experiences and help them grow WITH their imaginations? 

It does not have to be pinterest board worthy.  Really!  I promise your kids are not looking for a grown up expectation of any holiday!  This problem she has is not hard to fix.  It can be incredibly cheap and painless to give kids an imaginative filled childhood.

• Do your kids want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?  Spray paint a few quarters or pennies gold and have a freaking gold hunt with them when they wake up in the morning.
  
  
  If they want candy, let them use their gold coins to get some bubble gum at the super market. 
  
  
  
  Or go outside for a freaking leprechaun hunt.  

Cheap.  Easy.  Painless.

• Oh, your kids want to celebrate Pi day and you make a homemade dinner every night anyway?  Chicken pot pie for dinner it is!  What's that?
  
  
  You don't cook?  I'm pretty sure your grocery's freezer section sells really cheap pot pies.  Don't like pot pies?  Real pies work too.  
  
  
  Even semi-burnt ones.  (Take that pinterest!) 

Cheap.  Easy.  Painless.

• So your kid wants to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday?  That's easy.  Read them a book.  Make up a new book by rhyming silly phrases and words.  Or take some tape/staples and make a hat.  Hell, they can even do these (make hats/book) while you make their homemade dinner.

Cheap!  Easy!  Painless!

I understand that in the age of Pinterest we all sometimes feel like we are not doing "enough" because someone is always one-upping you but let me let you in on a little secret.....

Your kids don't give a shit if you spend your money on these holidays.  They only want your time.  Make sure you are spending it with them - while they still want to. 

P.S.

Clara voluntarly interacted with other children today.  She willingly walked away from me and sat in the front row during story time.  And she had a fantastic time while doing it.

Thank all the gods!  There is hope for preschooling yet!

Happy Humpday!