A Mom’s-Eye View from Procter & Gamble? Part 1
Top 5 ways that making it through the month of February is exactly like raising my kids:
- Lotsa pink.
- Lotsa sugar.
- I love it, but it sure is lotsa work.
- Why is it over so quickly?
- Snow days make ME giddy, too.
Both of my children were born in February, and somewhere along the way, in a spasm of enthusiastic overreach, I encouraged them to consider February THEIR month (and the world their oyster, btw). Selectively obedient girls that they are, they did.
For years, all 28 days of February have been a haze of hearts, descendants of the color red, calories, and paper products (invitations, Happy B-day cards, be-mine cards, thank-you notes). My older one even indignantly questioned why a certain holiday in early February had been tainted by a mild disagreement. It took a moment to realize she was talking about her birthday, not Valentine’s Day.
But this February has been exactly like the Procter & Gamble Salute to Moms. Bittersweet. See my blogroll for a link to this lovely ad that highlights the hopes and dreams and long-term parenting that Olympic athletes rely on.
Yes, I can see my kids swiftly closing in on the finish line to this marathon called “growing up”, but I also still see the little girls in the little leotards, learning one dance step at a time. My teenager has been signed by an agent, but still needs me to drive her to her photo shoots. Then hang around without looking like I’m hanging around — it’s an art.
My Princeton student has traveled to Carnegie Hall to accept a screenwriting award, but she still needs me to call the New Jersey cab driver I befriended to get a recommendation on an honest mechanic. Befriending New Jersey cab drivers is an art, too.
The teenager skipped her 16th birthday party with friends, and asked for tickets to a play instead. Always working on her stagecraft. The college student? With a lump in my throat, I called in an order for her 21st birthday cake. Had it delivered. She called to say “Whew!” for the plates and utensils I sent her way, too. Those things come in handy when you’re hosting your own birthday party for the first time.
Snow day you say? Last night, as I drove a certain somebody home from acting class, cutting a path through Houston snowflakes who hadn’t yet changed their minds, Mini-Me fantasized out loud about classes being cancelled. When we arrived home, I sat down at my computer to watch a video that my older one made of her most recent snow day. In their minds, too, they’re still kids.
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Carly Jennings | Parenting Skills | 
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