Dare to Do Nothing
a trip to the zoo. a hike in the woods. a day at the beach. a visit to the aquarium. a lesson at the science center. an art lesson at the art museum. a rumble at the park and playground. oh, and a week at school.
I, like many parents (I’m sure), frequently feel the need to get my children “out” and stimulate their little minds, teach them about the world, all in the great scheme of seeing to it that they become little intellectuals. great. fine. wonderful. But, gosh it’s the downtime that can get taken for granted, and lost. And yet, it is so crucial.
lazy saturday
We have spent this entire weekend doing absolutely nothing of any paper-worthiness. Nothing about our weekend would fit on a yuppie-child’s resume. I even feel guilt about not doing anything, and yet it is I who am also the advocate for doing just that: nothing.
What are the benefits? A chance for bonding between siblings and with mom, and also simple relaxation. My kids and I are constantly on-the-go during the week, and I am always left feeling as if they haven’t had enough opportunity to just be.
Mmmm
As hard as it has been for me to just “let go” and enjoy doing “nothing” this weekend, I can see the benefits right in front of me. Closeness to my kids. Absence of pressure…. I’ve done loads of laundry along the way, and picked up this-or-that.
We chopped open a watermelon yesterday afternoon, and their little bodies were subsequently streaked with pink stickiness. Today, we had ice cream cones outside, and Josephine ended up wearing most of her rocky road…. and yeah, a silly ice cream cone is an ordinary thing that you eat any day of the week at a friend’s house or whatever, but to be able to just enjoy the simplicity of only that, the ice cream cones, is kinda nice.
Throw in the fact that for my kids every other weekend is “disneyland Daddy” (Sears, William, MD and Martha Sears R.N. The Discipline Book. Little, Brown and Company, New York, NY: 1995. p 301.) weekend, and yeah… I want feel okay about just staying home this weekend.
rocky road
that is funny…
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