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In March, I was sitting around planning what we would do this summer. I was looking for places in the Chicago area to take the kids on the weekends. I ended up creating a web site with all the information I gathered (Kidtrips). I was ready to go, and then came April.
Now, my oldest, Jasmine, is only in first grade. So, until recently, her world and our world (that of her parents) have been virtually the same. I would actually look at neighbors running their kids back and forth to school and sport events, and think, “someday, I will have to deal with that.” I didn’t realize someday was the spring of first grade. Jasmine signed up to play intramural soccer at school (I didn’t sign her up for floor hockey and was admonished for it). Then halfway through soccer season, softball practice started. Suddenly, I was one of those mothers who was trying to arrange a child’s schedule and make sure she got to where she was suppose to be. Maybe, I should have been more prepared, but I really didn’t think I had to bother with any of this for about four more years.
So, now I have come to appreciate the concept of calendaring. My little pda contains a calendar that has family events, children’s appointments, and my appointment. Some days look scary. Tuesdays seem to be the worse. On the weekday, my calendar doesn’t even start until after work. On one Tuesday, I have five different appointments listed from 4 PM to 8 PM. At first, my reaction was that I had gone insane. My next reaction was, “ I can do this if I organize it and move with the efficiency of a military machine.”
So, now that I have to deal with this, I have come up with some concepts.
The calendar is important. It is going to guide our lives. It tells us where to go and when to go. It also tells me which child is involved.
Sitting down and eating dinner at home will be a treat. I need to fix quick dinners for kids to eat, and adults will have to eat later. Of course, adults could eat at the same time as the kids if we can convince ourselves that a hot dog or macaroni and cheese are good dinner choices. I think if I can make dinner and get the kid to eat dinner within twenty minutes; we will still be able to get places on weeknights.
Weekend activities will need to be scheduled around the softball schedule. Gone are the days where we can just leave for a day trip. Activities will probably need to be short and close to the next scheduled event.
I am going to have to live with the idea that we will be late at times. This concept is hard for me, since I believe arriving fifteen minutes early is arriving on time. If a soccer game ends at 4:00, and practice starts at 4:00, I am just going to have to accept that the child will be late for practice.
Above all, I am going to have to realize that my daughter now has a little life of her own. She will probably have opinions on what we are doing or where we are going. Doing family activities may pale in comparison, to playing with friends before a softball game. Life is going to change.
I know that this is just the start of life with active children. The three year old has just signed up for her first park district class. In a few more years, I will have to balance the activities of two children who are in different age groups for everything. But in the end, all the hassle is worth it, my kids will grow up to be individuals who have learned lessons like teamwork and compromise. And when I am old, I will make the kids shuttle me all over the place, and out of a sense of duty, they will comply with my little whims.
April 19, 2002 |
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