5 Ways We're Making Parenting Harder (LIP)

[dixeedeluxe]

We don't eat organic. I sometimes pick up Bunnies instead of Goldfish, but I always end up putting them back and LOL'ing at myself.

We only did themes for a 1st bday. That might change when they can pick, but then you buy that shit at Party City instead of plain shit. So that's fine.

We grew up with Elf on a Shelf, so it's not that weird to me. But it didn't move. I work. No way I can change that shit up every night AND allow time for the kids to look at it. Eff that ess!

H and I are hoping our kids are into junior dragsters and not sports. That way, H can do all the extra curriculars.

[sunshineluv]

Aug 28, 2013 11:49:02 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

I think most of us have an idea as to our motherhood style by now and hopefully that decides what we want to spend our time and energy on. If you want to spend your time on planning a fabulous party, that's fine by me as long as I'm invited! Similarly, if you want to have the next Olympic swimmer and your kid is happy and enjoyign it, then that's fine with me. I just hate the way that these things are always framed as a competition. I have enjoyed reading about things that ladies on here put more effort into than I do and I don't feel that I must compete with them. Sometimes I get ideas that I want to try too, other times I just think that's cool and I hope yo0u enjoy it!

I agree with you.

I will likely never throw elaborate parties, it would be torture for me. I will do what I can to make sure my kid and the kids invited have a fun time.  My best party memory is from first grade when my mom made dirt cakes for us, it was icecream in a little flower pot with oreo crumbs as dirt, and gummy worms sticking out. She also had games with fun notepads and pens and prizes.

I do think there are mom's who throw the elaborate parties not because they enjoy it, but because they feel they have to to prove themselves. I don't want to be that mom! I will fight it :-).

[creamsiclechica]

It's always something. You're either doing too much or too little by somebody else's standards.

[thedahliharpa]

I'm so tired of reading what bloggers have to say about anything parenting related. I don't read the shit anymore. I do what I WANT.

[creamsiclechica]

Aug 28, 2013 14:20:10 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

I'm so tired of reading what bloggers have to say about anything parenting related. I don't read the shit anymore. I do what I WANT.

WHATEVER! WHATEVER!  I DO WHAT I WANT!!!

[jfh]

creamsiclechica and thedahliharpa I'm right there with you. In the beginning I'd nod my head in agreement over those kinds of posts, oh yes, totally, Ms. Blogger, you've nailed it. Now I just feel like SHUT UP ALREADY. Your brilliant insights into parenthood are getting annoying.

[charlielove]

As I've said before, Elf on a Shelf is a creepy little fuck, but Claire LOVES finding him everyday. We just use him as a fun game. It gives her something to look forward to finding, and once he's gone that means it's Christmas! I don't do any of the "the elf is watching you" crap.

And my sister and I were so into soccer, my poor parents probably went to an average of 4 soccer games every single weekend for 9 months out of the year. But that was our choice and we loved it.

[bigapple]

My mom was far more over-the-top than I could ever be. She made all of my clothes, sewed cloth toys and made my dad make wooden ones, grew and canned loads of food, banned sugar and prepared foods, taught me to read before I was three, only allowed me to have non-white dolls to teach me diversity (where the hell did she find Black, Asian, and Native American dolls in Maine in the 80's?), kept a menagerie of animals from mice to cows, carved and decorated elaborate 3D cakes of whatever we wanted each birthday, themed everything, ran a business with my dad, served in town government, was a top person in her church, volunteered daily at my school, and renovated an 1800s farmhouse that still had an outhouse when they moved in.

Yeah...

ETA: and the only TV I was allowed was the Cosby Show, again for diversity. (She was from San Diego/Jacksonville and was a bit freaked out by how white Maine was)

[bigapple]

Aug 28, 2013 12:10:51 GMT -5 sunshineluv said:

Aug 28, 2013 11:49:02 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

I think most of us have an idea as to our motherhood style by now and hopefully that decides what we want to spend our time and energy on. If you want to spend your time on planning a fabulous party, that's fine by me as long as I'm invited! Similarly, if you want to have the next Olympic swimmer and your kid is happy and enjoyign it, then that's fine with me. I just hate the way that these things are always framed as a competition. I have enjoyed reading about things that ladies on here put more effort into than I do and I don't feel that I must compete with them. Sometimes I get ideas that I want to try too, other times I just think that's cool and I hope yo0u enjoy it!

I agree with you.

I will likely never throw elaborate parties, it would be torture for me. I will do what I can to make sure my kid and the kids invited have a fun time.  My best party memory is from first grade when my mom made dirt cakes for us, it was icecream in a little flower pot with oreo crumbs as dirt, and gummy worms sticking out. She also had games with fun notepads and pens and prizes.

I do think there are mom's who throw the elaborate parties not because they enjoy it, but because they feel they have to to prove themselves. I don't want to be that mom! I will fight it :-).

I completely agree. I don't understand getting so stressed out just for the sake of one-upping. OTOH, I love elaborate parties and enjoy throwing them. I've always done themed parties for my roommates' and husband's birthdays, so of course I'll do them for my kid. I once threw a party to celebrate Trista and Ryan's wedding - complete with wedding cake - and I don't even watch the Bachelor

[formerlyllizzyb]

The insanity of kids' schedules these days is one of the reason we might actually consider homeschooling.

Key word being might