Childism is alive and well...

Childism is alive and well. It exist because, people have allowed it to exist. Children don't have a single ounce of control or right to their own life, but are suddenly expected to "be adults" when they're 18 years old.

Even though I shouldn't be, I'm always shocked at what parents robotically do to their children, just because it's an accepted societal practice... There are parents who don't agree with certain things, but do it anyways because, someone of authority-like said so... I think back to the time I was so vocal about the wrongdoings of my daughter's Intermediate school and the parents just said things like, "well, the school knows best." Or, "kids need harsh discipline."

But, what really boils my blood is this trend that seems to occur in my region (I'm not sure if this exist everywhere)... Dentists who won't allow a parent back with their child - even if that child is 2 years old.

Personally, I wish every family would get up and walk out of every dentist, who doesn't allow a parent back with their child.

The reason this exists is, because it's allowed...

You'd never let your 5 year old go back to a doctor's appointment all alone without you there - and a dentist is so much more frightening to children.
Hell, a child isn't even allowed to be legally questioned without an adult present.

I stand by two schools of thought... There are two reasons an adult wants to be alone with a child and not have the parent there - 1, They are being aggressive towards that child and they don't want the parent to see. Or, 2, they're being nefarious... Otherwise, it wouldn't matter.

It blows my mind the level of conditioning that occurs to separate children from their families. We're conditioned to believe that it's normal to hand over our 6 week old baby to daycare staff. And, we are conditioned to believe that putting our children in an institution with full control over your child and YOU for 13 years, is a rite of passage and something that will make them succeed.

Children are ours to protect and keep safe... But somehow, they are the lowest rung of society. They put all their blind trust and love into adults. And yet, adults keep failing them.

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The fleeting days of childhood...

The one thing every parent has in common is, they feel like there is never enough time...

Time seems to pass at an alarming rate when we have children. But, there is also a chaotic mixture of watching the clock tick by and wondering where the day went.

Parents are caught between work, errands, piles of never ending laundry, dishes, and every other facet of adulting, while trying to find time for their children.

Balance is hard.

Some either lean to one side or the other. But, very few parents have figured out the perfect mixture.

So, I'm here to remind you to put down the laundry and stuff it into the nearest closet. Use it as a dresser for the next few days and pull clean clothes out of it. Or shove it hastily into drawers - I don't care what you do with it. But, put down whatever you're doing and go make some connections with your children.

Go build blocks on the floor with them. Run through the rain. Swing on some swings. Have a dance party. Or, jump on a scooter and have some races - like I am doing in this photo.

Be a kid, with your kids!

Whatever it is, take the time to get onto your child's level and be present in the moment with them. Even if it's just for a little bit - quality is so much better than quantity.

It's true that they'll never remember how clean the house was or how perfectly folded the clothes are. But, they will remember the day you raced them on a too-small-for-you-scooter and lost, by a lot... They'll remember the moments they laughed so hard, they fell over... They'll remember the nights you let them stay up past their bedtime for a backyard fire... Or, the times you attempted a flip on the trampoline (and didn't succeed)...

That's what they'll remember from childhood.

There isn't a pause button that we can click, so we can finish that last dish in the sink - as your child is trying to tell you a story about their favorite character from Mickey Mouse... Instead, the endless mundane cycles of adulthood will always remain. But your child won't be this age forever...

Go enjoy it❤

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40 trips around the sun...

40 years old is one of those ages when a lot of self evaluation suddenly takes place... One minute, you're flying high on the coat-tails of your youth. And the next, your back hurts from sleeping weird.

I don't fear aging... I'm not one of those girls who begins to stare in the mirror and analyzes her sudden aging flaws... In my family, there has been so many deaths, at such young ages. I honestly view 40 years old as a magnificent milestone. Being 40 feels like an achievement that I worked very hard for. So, I am grateful for the chance to celebrate being this age.

Throughout my years, I've had the opportunity (and thankfully, the awareness) to grow. I feel, with each passing year, I become a better version of myself - and my competitive nature never lets me feel satisfied with my status, which leaves me always wanting to improve. 

My journey of growth began when I first became a mother... I know I know, it's a cliche, but my children truly shaped me into who I am today... But, like a lot of mothers, I could never find the proper balance in my life. I had immense difficulty juggling being a mother and a person - Honestly, I still don't have it figured out yet. But, as my children age, their maturity is forcing me to figure it out. They are growing into their own person and biologically pulling away from "mom" -which is completely normal. However, this is leaving me left alone with a person who is unrecognizable...

My 20s were about self discovery of who I was away from my parents. Those were the years of selfishness and trial and errors... My 30s were my self discovery of who I was as a new mother. These were also years of trial and error, but also, loss of an identity... And, I believe my 40s will be a self discovery journey of who I am as a mother and a new person. 

I will navigate these years, trying to figure out how to proceed as my children grow a life of their own. I have to begin to discover who I am outside of "mom"... What are my likes? My interests? It sounds funny, but a decade is a long time to enter into limbo.

What I do know is, I am going into my 40s as a strict vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free human. My hair is almost completely grown out gray. I have a newly diagnosed health condition (POTS/neurocardiogenic syncope) and lasting COVID symptoms -including my hair falling out... I lost 40 lbs and besides my erratic heart, I feel the best I have in my life... My children are 11 and 9 years old and I've been with my husband for 19 years... I have done respectful/attachment parenting from day one and my relationship with my children has been so rewarding. 

Oh, and I made it in my college's Hall Of Fame for field hockey this past year...

I feel like the 40s are the new 20s. This is that second round of being care-free and living life for yourself. Our children are older now and we're all much wiser. 

I feel excitement entering into this age bracket -like I should be sitting around a table with a group of my friends and toasting to new beginnings, or something like that... I really feel these are my years to shine - Sure, I'll never taste gluten again or have a pop tart... But honestly, I'm ready for it all...

Because, my life is about to change drastically this decade - just as it did for my 30s. And hopefully at the end of it, I would have figured out the balancing act so much better than I did in my 30s...

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