Summer Boredom
By Carole
It’s August and the novelty of summer break is wearing off. Stores, newspaper ads, commercials are all touting back-to-school gear. The kids are waterlogged from lots of swimming; cranky from too many late nights; too much sleep or too little; they’ve invented every game imaginable with the kids on the block; sleepovers, play dates, a good book and day trips to the coast.
And now they’re bored. I couldn’t be happier. The warp speed of the school year with classes, homework, practices, games, meets & lessons is dizzying to say the least. That’s why I treasure, I covet, I fiercely protect our Sunday dinners. It’s a time for us to just be. Summer
July 31st I passed by baton as Entertainment Director to the kids. I told them it was not up to me to make sure every moment of their summer is fun-filled. I can’t afford to send them to 3 or 4 week long camps, we don’t have a time-share in Cabo and I don’t do campgrounds. I am not at their beck and call to take them here and there then come home, put in a few hours work, cook dinner, walk the dog and do laundry (mind you, my kids have do have daily chores and we even cleaned the whole house the other day!). If you’re bored, that’s not my problem. If no one’s around to play I am not personally responsible for the entire neighborhood’s social calendar. And for a few minutes, yes, I can sit down and close my eyes while you chill with a movie.
But I’m soooo bored! And the next thing I know, they’re making paint out of chalk, taking a much needed nap (yes, even big kids need them), making cupcakes or designing their Halloween costume.
The grass is always greener. I overheard a conversation between my daughter and her friend. It went something like this:
“Want to sleep over Saturday?”
“Can’t. We’re going away again. This time for 2 weeks on a 2000 mile road trip. Ugh.”
“LUCKY!”
“I just wish we’d stay home.”
So, as I hear the moans and groans of summer boredom, the ticking of bickering between siblings spending too much time together, I’m feeling a twinge of guilt that the summer hasn’t been more “exciting”. So, I’m primed and ready to whip out my VISA so as not to be pegged as “the borning mom” when I ask “So, how’s your summer?”
“This has been the best summer ever! It’s been so quiet. It’s so nice to have time to do nothing.”
Sunday we’re going fishing. It’s all good.
Calvin and Hobbes said it best: summer went so fast. There just isn’t enough time for all the nothing you want to do.
By Carole
It’s August and the novelty of summer break is wearing off. Stores, newspaper ads, commercials are all touting back-to-school gear. The kids are waterlogged from lots of swimming; cranky from too many late nights; too much sleep or too little; they’ve invented every game imaginable with the kids on the block; sleepovers, play dates, a good book and day trips to the coast.
And now they’re bored. I couldn’t be happier. The warp speed of the school year with classes, homework, practices, games, meets & lessons is dizzying to say the least. That’s why I treasure, I covet, I fiercely protect our Sunday dinners. It’s a time for us to just be. Summer
July 31st I passed by baton as Entertainment Director to the kids. I told them it was not up to me to make sure every moment of their summer is fun-filled. I can’t afford to send them to 3 or 4 week long camps, we don’t have a time-share in Cabo and I don’t do campgrounds. I am not at their beck and call to take them here and there then come home, put in a few hours work, cook dinner, walk the dog and do laundry (mind you, my kids have do have daily chores and we even cleaned the whole house the other day!). If you’re bored, that’s not my problem. If no one’s around to play I am not personally responsible for the entire neighborhood’s social calendar. And for a few minutes, yes, I can sit down and close my eyes while you chill with a movie.
But I’m soooo bored! And the next thing I know, they’re making paint out of chalk, taking a much needed nap (yes, even big kids need them), making cupcakes or designing their Halloween costume.
The grass is always greener. I overheard a conversation between my daughter and her friend. It went something like this:
“Want to sleep over Saturday?”
“Can’t. We’re going away again. This time for 2 weeks on a 2000 mile road trip. Ugh.”
“LUCKY!”
“I just wish we’d stay home.”
So, as I hear the moans and groans of summer boredom, the ticking of bickering between siblings spending too much time together, I’m feeling a twinge of guilt that the summer hasn’t been more “exciting”. So, I’m primed and ready to whip out my VISA so as not to be pegged as “the borning mom” when I ask “So, how’s your summer?”
“This has been the best summer ever! It’s been so quiet. It’s so nice to have time to do nothing.”
Sunday we’re going fishing. It’s all good.
Calvin and Hobbes said it best: summer went so fast. There just isn’t enough time for all the nothing you want to do.
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