More Fun Than Allowed…with Kids

I think being a parent is the most creative job there is.  Constantly trying to keep harmony while still doing what we know is right, is a great balancing act and requires an avid imagination.

My children have never been neglected sweets, but I’ve noticed that they ask for them when they are visible, and don’t if we don’t have any, (at least to their knowledge).  Take cake and/or ice cream for instance.  If it’s just after a birthday party, and they know that we have cake, they want it for breakfast.  Same for ice cream.  Why not?  I’ve found a way to be the coolest mom on the block by allowing my children to have these forbidden treats for breakfast.

How?

Simple.  Kids want the things that look like sweets.  So I make banana or zucchini bread…but not really bread, instead I make cupcakes.  I put a little frosting on the top, and now it’s good enough for breakfast.  Add a frozen yogurt (I usually freeze gogurts, since they are easiest for the kids to eat) and some grapes, and all the neighborhood kids want to have breakfast at my house. 

Sure, I could just say “No.”  But aren’t we, as parents, already saying NO a lot?  Why not say “yes” and use some creativity to make it good for all of us.

It’s important, as parents, to realize that every issue pertaining to our children is not life threatening and stop acting as if it is.  I allow my 5 year old to dress himself and try not to cringe at what he comes up with.  I think little ones are just drawn to colored socks, in our case it’s red.

I know this is an important lesson for children to learn, to dress themselves, and I wish I was organized enough to have  2 outfits ready for him to chooses from in the morning, but I am not.  On school days I just bring down his clothes and he gets dressed.  He has no problem with what I set out so it is never an issue.  The weekends are different.

He goes to get dressed, we sometimes have to give him a weather update, and he dresses in appropriate, although not always matching apparel.  IT’S OKAY!  Hubby has a hard time with this. I have all ideas he was dressed his entire life, and was never allowed to choose what he was comfortable in.  He was told what would be most appropriate, how dressing nice makes you feel better about yourself, and to always keep his appearance neat (shirt tucked in, belt, etc.) so he struggles with some of his sons choices, but I explain it’s okay and calm him down.

When it’s all said and done, I think I would prefer my son to dress himself and possibly be ridiculed for mis-matching clothes (although at 5 I doubt it) and be able to change his choices, than to have him be dressed in what I or Hubby would like him to wear, get ridiculed for being “overdressed”, and have no power over changing it.  It’s clothes, afterall, not life threatening last time I checked (as long as he has some on)

Putting it into Perspective

Over this past summer, Boogie (that’s the 5 year old son) had his 5 year old check up.  I sent him to get dressed.  He came down in orange shorts, a green shirt (that had some orange in it) and the coveted red socks.  I giggled to myself, felt proud that he had chosen his own outfit and suggested he wear sweatpants to cover the mismatch because it was a little chilly.  We arrived at the doctors office and while waiting Boogie played with another little boy, also there for his 5 year check up.  This new friend had on blue shorts an orange shirt and red socks.  I doubt the boys noticed, but I had to smile at the other mom, knowing she knew how to pick her battles, as I did, and a little envious that she wasn’t afraid to let it show.