Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I'm over it!

OK, it has been forever since I updated this thing, almost a year to be exact, but I have something to share, a confession, if you will.

Here goes:
My children go to public school, go to child care in the mornings, are only involved in one extra curricular activity (at the moment), come home in the afternoons and sometimes sit on the couch, watch the Disney channel and eat processed food and I AM NOT GOING TO FEEL BAD ABOUT IT ANYMORE!

They also play outside until it is way past dark when the weather is decent, refuse to eat fast food (because it is so bad for you), are super creative and excelling in school.

I have been so stressed over the past few years about were my kids in the right schools, were we in the right neighborhood, were they in enough activities, were they learning enough, are they eating healthy enough, blah, blah, blah. I have finally had enough. I am happy with our lives, I feel my children are getting what they need in all aspects of life and I am not going to stress anymore. This is the year for trusting my instincts, avoiding the haters (those who badmouth our school for every little thing) and trying to find balance instead of making sure everything is perfect.

Seeing the trailer for this movie: "Race to Nowhere" really helped me make peace with our life.

I don't want to push my kids so hard that they don't enjoy their childhoods, I don't want them to feel stressed out about what college to go to, I don't want them to feel so over-scheduled that they have no time for fun, and most of all I don't want them to lead the life they think WE want for them instead of the life THEY want for themselves. Success can be defined in many ways and isn't always about going to the best schools and making the most money. It is about doing what you love and being happy with your life.

Don't get me wrong, if I felt that the school wasn't offering my kids a good environment for learning or teaching them what they need to know, I would be the first one to try and change that. If my kids become too inactive/lazy, I will cut off the TV and get them moving more. I always balance the junk they eat with lots of healthy food, in fact they actually prefer to eat my cooking than eat out.

I mean really, do these kids look like they are missing out??


4 comments:

christine said...

Very nicely said Maggie!!!

Tracey said...

Adorable kids! Man, I want to squeeze their little rosy cheeks! :)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Maggie, the funny thing is I see you as having it all!!! You're doing a great job and any kid would be lucky to be yours!