In creating this intention, I asked myself "What kind of mother do I want to be?" And the answer came quite simply: fun. I want to infuse my home and family with love and laughter. I'm not talking about the over-the-top "Let's go on an adventure, naptime be damned!" kind of fun. It's more about bringing joy and humor to the everyday routine and challenges of life with my itty bitty boys. Singing through the diaper changes and joking through mealtimes. Tickle fights and clean-up races. Turning what could easily be considered drudgery into magic & memories.
I'm setting myself up for success on this one, because I mostly do this already. I have no problem getting silly with my boys, singing, dancing, wearing (clean) diapers on my head. I've made up about a million songs to distract B through pretty much every activity imaginable. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a toothy grin on B's face...or even better, a hearty belly laugh...and I am often angling to acheive this. Also, the one word "fun" encompasses a few other qualities that I aspire towards, like "presence" (nothing snaps me back to the moment like laughter and I can't dance and check email at the same time) and "patience" (losing my cool at a toddler for being a toddler*..not fun).
But for a while I thought that I wasn't good enough. Why wasn't I creating activities for B, like mothers I know in-real-life or through blogs? Where were our fingerpainting afternoons or craft projects? Shouldn't we be doing things on the weekends, besides going to the park? You know, the kinds of things you can take pictures of and put in a scrapbook with cute little titles?
Ugh. The thought of setting up "projects" makes me want to get back into bed. I'm going to play to my strengths and get over the rest. I LOVE going to the park. And I don't scrapbook (even writing it as a verb makes me cringe).
When I think honestly about what I want for my family this year, craft projects don't really make the list. Lost out to diapers-on-the-head, talk-like-a-robot, and the chickentime song.
*It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyways, discipline and schedules are still extremely important to me. I am well aware that some very essential components of parenting are not "fun" for anyone and I do not intend to gloss over those.
I really like this one. I am right there with you - not crafty, not the merry project planner but a huge fan of getting outside, running around, collecting sticks, etc. Here's to plenty of fun in 2012!
ReplyDeleteLove this! I sometimes wish I was crafty or creative, but W and E seem to laugh a lot, so we must be doing something right.
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