Lately I have had very little down-time or time to myself. Hubby was out of town for a few days (not long by many people’s standards) and as a result, I felt like a hamster in the wheel from the moment I woke up until I fell into bed at night. Mind you, I have only two kids (one 5 years old, the other 21 months old) and my commitments outside of the home are minimal. That is to say, I am not Miss Suzy-Super-Volunteers-for-Everything; quite the opposite, in fact.
Even so, the simple (?) responsibilities of keeping these kids fed, clothed, and entertained (I use that term loosely) is enough to make my head spin some days.
Therefore, today I am drawing some firm lines in the sand in order to protect my sanity. This morning I read an essay by John Rosemond in which he describe’s his mother’s practice of sending him outside to play in the morning, with firm instructions not to return until lunchtime.
This being a beautiful day around here — sunny with a nice breeze — after Adam’s lunch, I gave him the choice of resting in bed or playing outside until Mark wakes up from his nap. Adam has been in and out several times, and each time he comes inside, I remain firm about this arrangement. We have a fenced-in backyard with plenty of shade, a playset, a hammock, and so on. I really feel it is time for Adam discover the finer points of Being Outside Playing On Your Own.
I feel a bit of sympathy for him because he really wants to play Legos in his room right now. Nothing wrong with that at all, but it never fails that if he is indoors, he manages to be underfoot in some way, and I firmly believe in the importance of Mom or Dad having true downtime. There are plenty of other opportunities for him to play indoors, and once those opportunities arise, his Legos will be that much more fun.
The Honest Mommy 
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