February 8, 2018

Dear Babies,

This week has been spent on getting your Spring/Summer programming all figured out and I have to say that the pressure negotiating a schedule for a baby and 2.5 year old is enormous. Sure, first world problems here, but since this is my life…

The first issue is planning a schedule that is chilled out. NOTHING makes me crazier than hearing the schedules of moms who have their kids programmed every second of the day. It makes me itchy to think about that kind of planning. I still firmly believe that kids need free time and time to just be bored/play/be around the house or outside. Over-planning is the biggest buzzkill to our happiness and these little people will have plenty of time to be hectic. Now isn’t that time.

 

Also, for the very time being, I’m focusing on programs where I can be present. At 2.5 they start letting you do drop-off style programs but I also feel like you have your whole life to be dropped off and do stuff without me and whether it’s more for me or you, I’m going to be doing as much as I can with you while I can. They basically cut you off at age 3 so we are months away from not being able to do stuff together anyways.

So this session we are signed up for music, soccer and gymnastics. Your sister will come for music and soccer and gym is all ours.

The end of spring programs.

Then the whole conversation about camp came up. I had originally registered you in a fancy camp where they bus you to a pool for swim and have activities like rock wall climbing. Sure, it was pricey but “everyone” was doing it so we hopped on board. Your school – which is super granola and NOT fancy then opened a camp and an entire summer there including lunches is the same price as 3.5 weeks of fancy camp.

And money aside, I thought about finishing school and putting you in a new place that you don’t know and leaving you there was a bit hard for me to wrap my head around. On the one hand, you are a resilient person (as we all are) and I am sure that you would figure it out. On the other hand, I’m not a parent who hands their kids off to relative strangers while said kid is crying and just goes about my day. If I had to leave you crying, I would fucking die inside. My guess is that more traditional places (ie. not our school) are of the mentality that they just grab the kids crying, distract them until they stop and carry on. I’m sure this works and I’m sure that kids who are left at daycare or camp crying turn out just fine but no thank you. Not into that at all.

Also, in spite of being resilient, toddlers are notorious for having trouble with transition so why force it on you? Are you going to give a shit about what camp you go to? No. If anything you will probably be happier with familiar faces in a familiar environment.

I also hate the idea that I’m striving to do what “everyone” does. Like, who cares what everyone does? I’m not raising a sheep. I’m raising strong girls who lead the way and don’t follow the status quo just because. Again, there will be enough times that we will get caught up in the herd, when we can, it’s nice to colour outside the lines.

Anyways, the moral of this is that first, you should balance your time between being busy and not so that you can enjoy challenges and schedules while also enjoying spark and spontaneity – no need for that to die just yet. Second, do you. Don’t worry about anyone else and just enjoy your own independent and awesome life. And until you can make those kinds of decisions, I’ll help you live the best life I can imagine for you.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy being 2 and a baby because soon enough, like won’t be all songs and swings.

xo

Mom