Mine? Not yet. But I have to admit as the kids get older, I am noticing that more and more of their classmates and friends are becoming skilled at something. Whether it be piano, gymnastics or karate, I am starting to feel the pressure.
In my perfect scenario, my kids would play happily for hours, outside and inside with their educationally stimulating and non-toxic toys. We would bake, sing, read and sew together all the while completely enjoying each other's company. And of course we would live in that idyllic house in the country, with good neighbors not too far away.
And we do actually do a lot of this, just yesterday we made play dough and then constructed pirate ships for over an hour. Today, we told Christmas stories and made pipe cleaner candy canes. Pumpkin muffins are in our near future.
Something else I did today was to sign Drew up for soccer and Nora for gymnastics. The fact of the matter is, Drew is so ready to be a star, he is competitive and athletic and has an enormous appetite for all things sports related. He is his Daddy's son. Nora is a gymnast in the waiting. She hangs and climbs on everything and also has a large amount of grace. (Again, Daddy's genes.)
So as we head in to the "school years", I am dragging my the mud. I don't want to give away our family life to extras. And I have heard one too many times about the excessive homework.
How do I protect my kids and family from the rat race this early in life? How do I ensure that they have plenty of free time, outdoor time, and cozy family time? I am not sure, I think being aware of how quickly it can all spin out of control is the first step. I also think finding the division between my needs and my children's needs is key.
Because although I am dragging mine, their feet are ready for running and kicking and jumping and leaping, and becoming confident in the world around them. This crazy new world that is waiting for them.
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