Thursday, September 20, 2007

Tales of McBitchin' and Helicopters

Every Thursday, I get together with two of my friends and their respective children for a playdate. My friend K has a son the same age as Kylie, and my friend J has a daughter who is 21 months. The three of us have bonded over our trials of having older children (teens and almost-teens) and then having the little ones. We tend to meet at McDonald's, since the kids can play and we can sit and talk. We go there mainly because it's still really hot outside, and being indoors is preferable. When it gets cooler, I'm sure we'll be heading to the park, the zoo, etc, for our weekly outing. Last night I was telling my co-worker, um...Bob...that J's husband refers to our weekly get-together as the Sit and Bitch. As I was leaving work last night, Bob said "have fun with your McBitching", or something like that. I think that's how I'll refer to it from now on, because we all thought it was pretty funny this morning.

Anyway...speaking of McDonald's, I have a question. I'm not a coffee drinker, so perhaps I'm just not in the know. But there is a poster in McDonald's advertising their fantastic (?) new coffee, and on the poster it says "We'll add the cream and sugar for you!" Is this a big selling point for coffee-drinkers? I'm just wondering. I mean, how hard can it possibly be to add your own cream and sugar? Would you choose McDonald's over say... some other place that serves coffee, because they'll add your cream and sugar for you? Just wondering.

I'm at work, and I just got a call from Shannon. She has a softball game at 6pm. It goes like this:

Me: "911, what is your emergency?"

Shannon: "Haha. Mom, where are my cleats?"

Me: "Well, the last time I saw them was when I asked you for the sixth time to pick them up off the living room floor yesterday morning. I'm sorry, I don't know what you did with them after that. In your room, perhaps?"

Shannon: "Fine Mom...bye." click

Me: (To the empty line) "Yeah, I love you too. Have a good game!"

I have to tell you, that call just gave me the warm fuzzies. Someday they'll thank me for making them pick up their own stuff and be responsible for themselves and do things themselves...right? Right?? I always thought I was mean for not doing things for them. One occasion sticks out in my mind from last year:
Shannon was in sixth grade, and had lost the instructions for some project she was supposed to do for class. She wanted me to talk to her teacher and get the instructions for her again. Me, being the loving parent that I am, said,

"No way Missy...you lost it, you talk to your teacher yourself."

She whined, "But Mooommmm...she'll be maaddd at meeeee!" As I have a hard time resisting this sort of approach, I then said in my sweetest voice,

"Well, perhaps you should organize yourself better so you don't keep losing things. Now get in there and ask for another copy."

They think I'm mean sometimes. But you know what? I don't really care. I swear, I've actually heard this from one of my children:

"But Princess's mom does _______ for her!!" And I've actually replied,

"Well, I'm not Princess's mom, now am I?" (Just one of the many, many things that come out of my mouth that make me think I've turned into my own mother. By the way, I love you, Mom.)

Anyway, the point is that I've discovered that making my kids do for themselves may not be such a bad thing after all. I'm definitely not going to be one of these people!

Helicopter Parents
You're Going On a Job Interview With Them? Really?

I'm more like a Stealth Parent...in and out of there so fast, you never even saw me. Ha! Danielle had her first job interview (and subsequently, her first job) this past summer, and it would have never, ever even occurred to me to go into the interview with her! God, seriously. What is wrong with people?

On a completely unrelated note...Survivor starts tonight! Yayyyy!!!!!

5 comments:

Sheri said...

I also make my children do things for themselves. It drives me crazy sometimes (because I could do it faster & more efficient) but if we want our children to eventually be independent we need to encourage that where we can! By the way, thanks for commenting on my blog - I will be checking yours out now!

Fannie said...

GASP! You hold your children accountable? Someone call child protective services! (BTW - My response to missing items is always the same: "Well... I know where it SHOULD be".)

Anonymous said...

Shel,
We drive thru coffee drinkers worship the workers who will relieve us of the daunting task of balancing those little creamer shooters, tiny packets of sugar and boiling, skin strippingly hot coffee on our car's center console. So in a word, yes plese.
You know I feel your pain on the teen tween and toddler scene. Logan's townhouse reflects absolutely ZERO of the responsibility I tried to instill in him so I'm now wondering if it's not a waste of time. Maybe when he's 30 he'll clean the toilet with the toilet brush I bought for him but he's subsequently lost? And how does one LOSE a toilet brush?
Anyway, LOVE this post tons!!
Pam (blogger is being mean and won't let me sing in..WTF).

www.bubblewrites.blogspot.com

Shelley said...

Pam, I never even considered the drive-thru thing, I guess because we were inside and I saw the poster. But if you're driving thru, I can see how it would be helpful!
Of course it's possible to lose a toilet brush...if you're a GUY. lol Are you sure he was aware of its purpose?

Anonymous said...

Okay, I can relate with WANTING to be all up in your kids' business...but to actually DO it? And what child LETS their parent be like that to begin with? Aidan is already pushing me away, and Kenny and Paige definately aren't thrilled to see me picking them up, no matter how much they need that ride home.

Coffee at McD's...it's so hard to make it at home? They have these cool new things called TIMERS on coffee pots too. *LOL*