Sunday 6 May 2012

Because my house is still a work in progress, with no carpets in most places and raw plaster and bare bricks at every turn, I don't clean it properly. I was going to say that it's hard to keep clean, but really it's fairer to say that I look at it all and say 'what's the point?' Today I finally spring cleaned our bedroom. I feel detoxified, and I'm horrified that we have been living in such a mess and a muddle. Not only have I cleaned and scrubbed, the dogs have been walked, the children have been walked and fresh aired at the park in the glorious sunshine, dinner has been cooked, eaten all together at the table, and cleared away. Four loads of washing have been done, and when my husband got home he finished fixing the leaking roof. I therefore feel totally shattered, but very satisfied. I can't wait to get into my lovely clean bed. Clean beds are on my top ten of favourite things. I wonder what you've all been up to? Bank holidays usually inspire people to get out and about.
Strangely, I can't remember childhood bank holidays. I think it's because as a child I used to 'play out' so I think an extra long weekend was usually spent the same as most weekends from the age of about 4. Some weekends were spent with my Dad, because my parents divorced when I was only 1. The rest were spent at my Nan's house playing out in her field with the other children in the street. The field had a swing, an enormous Christmas tree, several dens and a sacred corner with a tree of heaven and a hole where we believed a dead mouse had been buried. At the end of the road was 'the green'. I can only think of 5 friends that lived in the street, but there always seemed to be more people playing out than 5. There was one other girl and me that were the same age, and we were the youngest, so even though it was my Nan's field, I didn't get to say what games we played or the rules because I was the youngest. The milkman used to leave his milk crates in the den over the weekends which made perfect seats for our top secret meetings.
Kids don't play out any more do they? Certainly not as young as 4. My children don't play out because our road is too busy and because there are no other kids to play out with. When I walk around Seaton I don't see any other kids playing out in their roads. It's a real shame. Bigger kids 'hang out' at the skate park and a close friends son plays in his road, but he only has one other much younger boy to play with. I can't send my children to play in their road because it's too far from our house, and I would feel like I was leaving the responsibility for my children to my friend. I'd like to do something to change things but I'm not sure what. Not playing out is part of the reason that children spend more and more time in front of games consoles. I think it's partly responsible for the 'I'm bored' generation and the after school club junkie parents and the bank holiday and weekend search for bigger and better things to do, that all cost lots of money, and give children the impression that our role as parents is to serve and entertain. Golly, that turned into a bit of a rant. Sorry!

2 comments:

  1. I have been away on holiday with my family last week and we had the most amazing time together rambling around BluePool and taking a steam train to swannage and visiting Peppa Pig World and Monkey World all costing money. Then we were home in time for the bank holiday weekend where we had a couple of parties and visits to the grandparents.

    On the Monday we had a day to finish the mountains of washing and just basically have a rest (well my hubby and two girls did, i had yet another party to go to although this time an adult party or not maybe as it was a baby shower so kids were still kind of involved there and it was with my mummy friends so the time in the restaurant was mainly spent discussing coming school year as they are all going in to reception, sorting out a summer picnic for the kids and other various kiddy subjects alongside a bottle of wine, although not for my mummy friend who is expecting baby number 3.

    Anyway my eldest daughter after completing lots of sticking and colouring tasks set by me starts asking where we are going today, and when I told her we were not going anywhere she had a face like thunder and almost demanded to go out, the strop that she threw was enormous. Me and hubby couldn't believe it, we have been out on trips for almost a week and this was probably it, she expected to be taken out.

    It makes me sad to think of all the money spent on toys and the actual amount of time spent in the house playing with them. Actually to be honest we really dont need toys in our house as all the girls want to play is make believe swimming pools by pulling all of the bedding off the bed and emptying out clothes draws to find swimming costumes and towels, but then that is good in a way as they can entertain themselves.

    Sorry this is going on longer than I meant haha, but I wanted to agree that I sometimes feel like a parent who is soley there to serve and entertain my kids and that this weekend for one day they were not content just to stay indoors and play with their toys without making a big fuss.

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  2. It's so hard to find the balance. I think we all want our children to have lovely experiences and not want for anything. We love to see their delight when we give them what their little hearts desire, but at the same time we want them to appreciate what they have, and be grateful. It's soul destroying when you have worked your little backside off, giving them a day out to remember, then it ends in tears because at the last minute they want more, and they can't have it! Or they want to stay longer, or buy some ridiculous, expensive souvenir in the gift shop and you have to say no........ I think gratitude only comes if they have to wait for things or have to invest some of their own time and effort into making things happen. When they are only little, it's hard to work that into the arrangements!

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