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!