Helicopter mom

I was thinking today, that for someone who loves to read, I sure haven't been reading a lot lately. Perhaps this is the plight of mothers of young children everywhere, I don't know. All I know is that by the end of the day, even the thought of a book makes me sleepy. I do enjoy reading out loud with my husband in the evenings sometimes, I suppose. We might finish 3 books a year together that way. We move like snails, as there always seems to be something more pressing to do with our time. It is easy to lose momentum if we skip too many days as well.

I forget sometimes that is is okay to sit in a chair outside and read and that it is good for my kids to run off and entertain themselves for a while. It is more natural to me to be supervising each activity with hummingbird-like intensity and to make sure that everybody is playing nice and not eating dirt, than it is for me to sit back and glance up occasionally.

I really don't want to be a helicopter mom. I dream of someday owning a little land and letting the boys run around for hours on their own. Parenting has changed a ton in recent decades and it's no wonder that we're all a bit tired. I know I appreciated the freedom I had as a child. I have to remind myself that kids are really "adults in training" and that my babies need a little more independence in order to explore the world from their vantage points (without parental narration.) Today I remembered the joy of sitting and reading a good book (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver) while the kids were playing outside. If the weather is tolerable tomorrow, I'll try to do that again. Maybe I can make a habit out of this, who knows? :)

Love,

Kate