Don’t you love it when you see your kids grow?
And I’m not talking height. I’m referring to watching them become adults. When they set goals, work for something and are on the cusp of realizing their dreams.
It’s an exciting week on this front for me, as G begins his student teaching. He’s been working toward this for the past couple of years and, I think, is well prepared. He’s definitely happy with his placement — half the semester in a second-grade class, the other half with fourth-graders.
It suits him. He thoroughly enjoys teaching and working with kids. He’s been doing it for a while, having spent numerous summers as a hockey camp counselor and the past two summers at a wonderful nature education camp.
I remember my first job out of college as an eager newspaper reporter. How exciting it was to be working, doing something I had trained for and wanted to do.
I hope he’s starting to feel that excitement — and the excitement of his adult life beginning. What a bright future ahead!
Archive for January, 2013
One step closer to a goal
Plotting germ warfare
Germ avoidance has begun.
How do you keep colds/flu from spreading like wildfire in your house?
The boys were sidelined recently for several days with a terrible cold. Now K has been hit with what I think might be the flu — horrible congestion, cough, can’t breathe, achy and running a fever.
I don’t want to get it! And I don’t want to quarantine her to her room, but it’s hard to keep those bad germs from spreading everywhere. So tonight, when I get home from work, I’ll do a quick sanitizing wipe-down of things like the TV remote, the fridge door and handle, kitchen drawer-pulls, faucet handles — those places and things touched by everyone in the house.
Then I’ll do everything I can to help K feel better. Even though she’s 18, she can still use a little mothering now and then.
When the kids were little, seems I caught their colds much more often. Lap and snuggle time, which they need a lot of when they’re sick, puts us in the danger zone of catching whatever they’ve got.
Our family is generally pretty healthy. But now that the kids are grown, self-sufficient and I don’t have to stay home from work when they’re sick, it helps me avoid catching the occasional bug they bring home.
So tonight, it will be early to bed. A good night’s sleep will keep me from getting run down and give that immune system a fighting chance.
You should do the same.
The battle of the dishwasher
To rinse or not to rinse, that’s the question in our house.
I’m talking about the dishes, of course, which would go straight from the kitchen table into the dishwasher if most of my family members had their way.
“You don’t have to wash the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher,” my kids will say — with some sarcasm, I might add. But I usually get my way, prompting a more thorough rinse (including use of the dish brush and a little soap) before the pan or plate or glass or piece of silverware makes its way into the dishwasher.
But I’m not always around when the dirty dishes are loaded or the clean ones put back into the cupboards. And it’s an unpleasant surprise when I pull out a mug for my morning coffee and find chocolate residue from the hot chocolate last sipped from that cup that, for some unexplained reason, the dishwasher does not remove. (Same residue easily comes off with a quick pre-dishwasher scrub and a little soap.)
Similar scenarios happen with other food not rinsed that ends up baked on the “clean” dishes.
Is this a problem in your house? Am I a horrible nagging mother when I show said dishes or glasses as proof of my point and the need for some pre-dishwasher cleaning? Will I ever win this battle?
Of course I will, since it’s only a matter of a time until I’ll be doing almost all of the dishes myself after all of the kids have moved out!
Dreading the family transition
I am now officially the mother of three adults — at least on paper.
The baby of the family turned 18 this week and when she goes off to college in the fall, the home dynamic will shift.
Of course, add her departure to our middle child graduating from college in the spring (and likely not moving back home), and the shift is even bigger. I know I have to get used to it. So why am I dreading it?
Our family has been in a transition stage for a while, which has given me a reprieve from the empty nest. For the past seven years, one or both boys have been at college and home only on breaks. Our oldest — now a college grad with a great degree from a great school and a great job — did move back home after graduation and still lives with us, at least for now. (For all of you wondering why he’s still under our roof, his job is close by and doing so enabled him to pay off his college debt — in two years, I might add! Now he’s working on building a savings so he can either A, move out; or B, go to graduate school.)
I know we raise children so that they can grow up and go out on their own and help make the world a better place. Time to let go.
I just don’t want to.
Good news on the college front
Another college acceptance!
K is three for three so far and we are excited. As a parent, you want your child to have good choices. Looks like she’ll have a few. Of course, I’m doing my typical second-guessing. Did I help her find the right schools? Did we miss any places where she should have applied?
College is such an important part of life. It was for me. It’s where I got a great education that has served me well through nearly 30 years in the journalism field. I had a wonderful experience there and really came into my own. It’s also where I met the man who has been my husband for the past 26-plus years. I guess I could say I owe my entire family to my alma mater.
I’ve always believed that the people who say the high school years are the best part of life didn’t go to college!
Now it’s going to happen for K. And I’m so excited for her!
Yes, you can put yourself first!
Are you overwhelmed by your daily to-do list? Do you feel burned out?
A lot of moms do, so you’re definitely not alone. We did a story about it in the January issue of HealthyLife, the women’s health magazine I edit, and the experts our writer spoke with say there’s a relatively easy way to prevent it.
Put ourselves first.
Problem is, not too many moms seem willing to do that. And when we do, we feel guilty.
We all know the logic behind it. A happy mom means a happy family (at least generally). When we’re rested and feeling our best, we take better care of everybody else. Plus, it’s good for our kids to see that we value ourselves — that we’re worth our own time.
So why is it so hard to do?
I have to say, I think I’m getting past my burnout stage. My kids are older. They take care of most of their own daily maintenance stuff. One doesn’t even live at home anymore except on school breaks.
I do think burnout is generally worse for mothers of younger children — especially when those moms also have full-time jobs outside the home. Those women never get a chance to relax.
It may be easier said than done, but take the experts’ advice. Put yourself first. Take some time off from your responsibilities to get in some exercise or some much-needed time with the girls (or your significant other). Hire a baby-sitter. Your kids will be better for it.
And so will you!
