Holy cold out yesterday!!! I cannot believe that winter weather is here. Uggg. Why is the fall always too short?? I love the days of 65, sunny and breezy... and I think we had two of those. I have to say, I absolutely live for the way my kids look all bundled up in their jeans, boots, coats and mittens. I just want to squeeze them til they pop! But me, I am not super fond of bundling up. Typically I just wear a sweater and run into wherever I am going (my mom hates that and always tells me to treat myself like I treat my kids ((meaning bundle up)), but yesterday it was freezing out! 28 degrees in the AM. AND, my kids had walk to school day. Do you think we walked? Negative. I am all about my children getting exercise, but this FL girl was not/will never freeze her tucas off like that.
And I hate wearing coats. Probably similiar to why I do not love my children or anyone for that matter hanging all over me. I need space. Freedom to move around. Looseness. Air. And when I am all wrapped up like pigs in a blanket in a coat and scarf I feel all suffocated.
I will admit, the one thing I did enjoy about yesterday was that after I volunteered in my kids classes, I went to Caribou for a yummy marshmallow hot chocolate. Total treat for myself, and it was due to the insane chill I had running down my spine all morning. Yes, I've dealt with the winter (mom- i know i should capitalize that but don't care) now for 11 years, but I will always be a beach girl.
OK, I very quickly wanted to mention the documentary I saw last night with a bunch of friends. In the midst of what I am currently going through with my oldest (poor guinea pig as I am sure things will be totally different when the girls roll around to 2nd grade), it was very heart wrenching to hear it from the childrens point of view. These poor teenagers who are struggling to do the very best they can to get into the very "best" college. The pressure, and stress, the anxiety, the illness, the lack of sleep.. it is just so sad to watch what our society is doing to these kids. And mine are quickly coming down the pike. I went to bed wanting to write a lot about what I saw and heard last night, but it is so hard to put into words really. The one thing that struck me the hardest is a beautiful, "popular" (whatever that really means), bright, well rounded 13 year old good who received straight As her entire life got her first F, in 8th grade, in Math (I HATE MATH).. and what did she do about it???????????????? She commited suicide. Seriously. What a freaking tragedy. What the hell are we doing to these kids?? Doesn't happiness account for anything anymore???? How can they be happy well adjusted kids with all this stress and pressure to be perfect surrounding them. It is such a nightmare. And it scares me to death because my son is a bit of a perfectionist in that he wants to do everything correctly and get every answer right, so struggles and cries about it when he is stuck or frustrated.... all at the ripe old age of 7. Again yesterday, for the 2nd time this week, I had to go in and speak to his teacher about his math homework.
Someone, someway, somehow... this all needs to change. I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon, you?
I am totally feeling everything you are saying from the cold weather blues to the documentary!!!! I am ready to jump on the bandwagon, but not so much to 'Drink the Koolaid' but more from the perspective of many things need to change, societally speaking, about what works for the kids and what doesn't. Pressure from parents, teachers, etc. and the perception to be "perfect" obviously doesn't work. It's not attainable as my oldest child clearly reminds me of daily, and as I as an adult regularly encounter.
ReplyDeleteClearly, as I think this is the point this movie tried to make. It takes a local change agent to make that happen and a change within your own family. Again, easy to say but hard to put into practice.
I am game...just need the time and energy to do it! Love that you are writing about it! You rock it, girl! :-)