Some day it will probably get easier, but managing play dates for my 6 year old is a little taxing these days. I have my other two kids to think about, and nap times to juggle, so now that summer is here, I think my daughter is re-thinking how great it is to be out of school.
I mean if I could get really organized (yes, even more organized than I am already, which is clearly possible) then I could probably work something out. But I'm really just feeling lucky to have food in front of my kids at meal times, even if it is shaped like little dinosaurs or consists of artificial cheese-covered Scooby-Doo shaped noodles.
Today my 6 year old is finally getting a play date, the first in a while, thanks to a very generous mother who offered to have her over. But it really wasn't very organized in the way it came about.
She was at a day care facility at our athletic club where a couple of her friends were as well. When it was pick up time, the other mother and I showed up at the same time, and what followed was a lot of begging and pleading for a play date. All done by my daughter of course. Which always puts me in an awkward position; I either say no and disappoint her and her friends, or I put myself in the position of pawning her off on another busy mom, when it's really that mom's decision to make, not mine.
My friend was very gracious to say that she could come over and go swimming with her twin daughters and that she would take care of swimsuits, lunch, etc. Many thanks go her way.
When my daughter found out she literally started jumping up and down screaming. As I was about to walk away she came running up to me and threw herself around my legs.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you a million times over!" she said to me, looking up at me with a huge toothless smile and sparkles in her eyes.
I started thinking to myself "Wow, that's one of the best thank yous I've had in a while." All the flashbacks are flooding me of my many lectures about being thankful for what you have and grateful for opportunities that my husband and I provide. And I am starting to think that FINALLY things are sinking in and all my words are not lost on little ears that only want to hear "yes", and are never in conjunction with a little mouth that says "thank you."
And then as she is walking away I hear her say to her friends "That's what Mitchie says in Camp Rock! Thank you a million times over!! She's so excited when...." and her story goes on about the new Disney High School Musical rival show, Camp Rock.
Apparently those shows that I consider too old for her and only centered on mean-spirited girls learning their lessons the hard way, actually offered a small tutorial on good manners. And it obviously got through to her more than me and all my many years of wisdom that I shower upon her every day.
I mean if I could get really organized (yes, even more organized than I am already, which is clearly possible) then I could probably work something out. But I'm really just feeling lucky to have food in front of my kids at meal times, even if it is shaped like little dinosaurs or consists of artificial cheese-covered Scooby-Doo shaped noodles.
Today my 6 year old is finally getting a play date, the first in a while, thanks to a very generous mother who offered to have her over. But it really wasn't very organized in the way it came about.
She was at a day care facility at our athletic club where a couple of her friends were as well. When it was pick up time, the other mother and I showed up at the same time, and what followed was a lot of begging and pleading for a play date. All done by my daughter of course. Which always puts me in an awkward position; I either say no and disappoint her and her friends, or I put myself in the position of pawning her off on another busy mom, when it's really that mom's decision to make, not mine.
My friend was very gracious to say that she could come over and go swimming with her twin daughters and that she would take care of swimsuits, lunch, etc. Many thanks go her way.
When my daughter found out she literally started jumping up and down screaming. As I was about to walk away she came running up to me and threw herself around my legs.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you a million times over!" she said to me, looking up at me with a huge toothless smile and sparkles in her eyes.
I started thinking to myself "Wow, that's one of the best thank yous I've had in a while." All the flashbacks are flooding me of my many lectures about being thankful for what you have and grateful for opportunities that my husband and I provide. And I am starting to think that FINALLY things are sinking in and all my words are not lost on little ears that only want to hear "yes", and are never in conjunction with a little mouth that says "thank you."
And then as she is walking away I hear her say to her friends "That's what Mitchie says in Camp Rock! Thank you a million times over!! She's so excited when...." and her story goes on about the new Disney High School Musical rival show, Camp Rock.
Apparently those shows that I consider too old for her and only centered on mean-spirited girls learning their lessons the hard way, actually offered a small tutorial on good manners. And it obviously got through to her more than me and all my many years of wisdom that I shower upon her every day.
Whatever. I'll take what I can get at this point.
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