This summer like many others, the kids are primarily home with me.  I enrolled them in some half day camps so they can learn cool new things but being a stay-at-home mom, I get to entertain them the rest of the time.  This has become an especially tiring task this year!  I think it has to do with their age since they are 10 and 8 and love to fight with each other every chance they get.  I think another reason is that they are blessed with many friends so we are constantly having play dates either at home, the pool, or other fun places.  All this leads to highly stimulated kids who don’t know how to just sit quietly for any amount of time and a crazed mommy who gets no downtime!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining…just venting a bit.  I know that they are growing up so fast and these summers we have together build wonderful memories that will stay with us forever.  Watching them play, create, swim, bowl, study, and even goof around is not so bad.  However, it can get tiring (like anything else you do without a break).  They also seem to want to have ‘Fun’ all the time and I don’t know if that is healthy.  I love that they have friends around and access to a pool and playground but maybe they should learn that life is not a party 24/7.  I’m sure their minds and bodies need some rest and quiet time besides sleep at night.  Even their bedtime has gotten later because they know there isn’t school in the morning and they have trouble winding down from the excitement.  This also takes away from mommy’s quiet, private time!

We’re working on incorporating some reading and studying time but I am still trying to figure out how to get them to accept some doing nothing time.  That seems the hardest.  I understand that no one wants to be bored but I feel like it is much more traumatizing for their generation than ours.  We would at least sit in a daze during long car rides but these guys need a book or game or iPod to help them survive the ride.  We give in to avoid the fighting after a while but I do think that nothing time allows for thinking and creativity and even just calming the mind.  I hope our kids don’t grow up overly wound up!  Well, I’m working on molding them to perfection but who the heck even knows what that is so it makes it kind of hard.  Wish me luck and hope I survive the summer being their event planner, teacher, cook, referee, nurse and of course MOM!