Mama Guilt Monday

January 18, 2010

The Great Outdoors?

As moms we are all too familiar with "mama guilt". Sometimes the guilt comes from us, other times it comes out of our little one stating a simple fact about us. I got a double whammy as I have been carrying my own guilt about something and then my daughter stated the obvious and "ughh!"

Santa Clause brought my little girlie a pretty new bike this year! The one that has the bike on it for Barbie to ride along too! Santa had told me of his plan and so as the days approaching Christmas got closer I imagined us going for a ride on Christmas and bunches more times after that...I figured daily rides right? OK, at least weekly?

On Christmas morning her face was priceless...and she did get to ride her bike. Doesn't back and forth in a straight line on our lanai and in our family room count? Well, when Christmas night came I thought "shake it off, you can take her out tomorrow."

That bike has stared at me for a few weeks now, layering on the guilt, as we come and go through the garage. She has by the way gotten to do circle laps in the garage on it...I know still not the same.

So this weekend my sweet girlie looked at me and said "mama, you're not an outdoors person." At first I said "yeah, you are right!" Then after the moment passed I started to think about what she said and maybe why she said it. Maybe because I haven't ventured outdoors to ride bikes? I did rupture my spleen and end up in the ICU for a week...running from a bee! This was several years ago and I am better around bees...maybe next time it will be just a trip to the ER and home for me. Isn't it ironic that the stuff we love to do with our kids is easy, natural, and takes no effort or thought...but the stuff we don't particularly enjoy and thus don't partake in is what they really NEED to be doing with us?

What to do? I am a "to do" list person. I love checking off things and feeling a sense of accomplishment...yes even the simple tasks make it to my list so I can check them off! I am going to start making sure that my most important "task" of the day makes it on my to do list more than one time a day. Hopefully this will help me do what I need to be doing with her too, not just what I want to be doing. Wish me luck with the bees today!

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