Things other moms do with their kids that you would hate doing with yours - Page 2

[guestmama9972]

How does anyone do crafts for their own enjoyment with kids around? Or sew?

I am ok with the kids helping me in the kitchen.

I have a SIL whose two kids are in a bazillion activities, and they are only 5 and 3. I don't know how super-active moms do it. I couldn't stand to be in the car that much. She also has a perfectly-decorated house and has her own business. I love her, but give me a break.

I don't like playing games with my kids, especially board games because they want to make up their own rules. It bugs the heck out of me. That is my confession of the day.

[Fyrestorm]

DD (5) isn't quite sure what a princess is

We had her in a ballet class last year and one of the warm up excersizes involved 'being your favorite princess' and telling the class which one you were while holding your imaginary favorite color ball (1st position).

Dd was completely bewildered and told the class she was Buttercup! (Princess Bride is the only princessy thing DD has ever seen)

Now, princess play for us involves traipsing through the fire swamp and avoiding R.O.U.S's.

BTW, I was very glad I didn't have to sit through or participate in that class.

The one that makes my quiver is Music and Me class. DD loved it, but DH went with her. I went once and almost lost me breakfast! How on earth can you sit through that stuff?

[GuildJenn]

I hate board, card, and dice games. Hate them. I am planning to hire a teen to come play them with my son, because I know they're really good for kids. Either that or maybe I can trade a mom for something else.

[Seasons]

Originally Posted by Miss Blue

How does anyone do crafts for their own enjoyment with kids around? Or sew?

I scrapbook a lot. I couldn't do it WITH my dd until she was about 4. At that point she could have a parallel pile of colored paper to work with (with my pens, punches etc). Now, at almost 7, she actually is a help, and chooses and glues embellishments, adds doodles, etc - so our albums are joint.

I actually have always liked cooking, (kids') crafts, science experiments, gardening, hikes/snowshoeing/swimming with my dd. And I like playdates with another mom along - that's when I get my adult gabtime.

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

(Princess Bride is the only princessy thing DD has ever seen)

Now, princess play for us involves traipsing through the fire swamp and avoiding R.O.U.S's.

BWAHAHA!

[lifeguard]

When people tell me they've seen the same (insert obnoxious cartoon movie here) 1000 times. Ugh! They just let them watch over & over & over.... I (& dh less so) could not handle it.

And we do not (yet) have a single toy that takes batteries. Nothing that lights up & sings or makes it's own noises. I've even seen some at friends houses that randomly go on trying to entice the child to play with them "Hey, I'm here, come play with me, we can sing" SOOOOO creepy!

I'm dreading when we get to the point that the park is something he's interested in. I just can't think of anything more boring.

[newbymom05]

Cleaning with anyone under 5. Which brings me to the next thing I don't understand, parents who never resort to the tv. Please, no explanations!!!! Because I LIKE my caustic toxic cleaning products that work (and no flames, I'm begging!!) and have zero inclination to switch to vinegar and baking soda so my 4 y/o can help me clean the toilet.

Oh, and crafts. Hate 'em. Luckily my DS is happy working on his own.

[staceychev]

I hate going to swim clubs. Blech! They are so mind-numbingly boring to me. Every time a friend invites me, I try to make an excuse.

[kirstenb]

Listening to children's music 24/7. I find that I hate almost all children's music. DS has one or two CDs geared towards kids that I do actually like and don't mind playing, but I would much rather that we listen to adult music. I would claw my ears off if I had to listen to the CDs that gets played in DS's daycare room daily.

[Peony]

I spend many an hour at the park, but ONLY if I meet friends there, I loathe just taking my kids to the park and then sitting watching them play. I hate playing games, board games, cards, anything like that, I refuse to do it, thank goodness I have a DH who will willingly play!


And I'm down with the poster who could never not resort to TV. We don't watch it all the time, but when kids are sick or it is crappy weather, or I just have to get something done and I'm been trying all day, then yes a movie comes out.


Oh and music classes for toddlers, yuck! I tried that once, I'd rather be a soccer mom then do that, and I hate sports as well! Lucky for me, my girls are into gymnastics and dance. One almost joined the swim team, that wouls be pushing it for me, but I'd rather be sitting around a pool then a soccer/baseball (please let my DS like something other then those) field.

I'm good with everything else, We are a busy family, I like to cook/clean with kids, etc... I'm not a crafty person so I would never craft, kids or no kids!

[an_aurora]

Cooking....*shudder*. The kids love to "help" so occasionally I will have them help me make cookies, but it's so frustrating and I just want to scream "just let me mix the $*&%$^ dough already!" Cleaning....the kids love it, and I think it's great as long as I'm not trying to clean . I let them sweep and their favorite game is "find the spot on the floor" where they each get a damp cloth and they clean the floor . I'm also not real good at the "lets sit on the floor and play together" thing once they are past baby stage, since I have NO imagination. The girls are super independent and don't expect or want me to join in .

[sisteeesmama]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

Cooking....*shudder*. The kids love to "help" so occasionally I will have them help me make cookies, but it's so frustrating and I just want to scream "just let me mix the $*&%$^ dough already!" Cleaning....the kids love it, and I think it's great as long as I'm not trying to clean . I let them sweep and their favorite game is "find the spot on the floor" where they each get a damp cloth and they clean the floor . I'm also not real good at the "lets sit on the floor and play together" thing once they are past baby stage, since I have NO imagination. The girls are super independent and don't expect or want me to join in .

First, I love your kids names!

But I totally agree about the cooking thing, I have tried the baking thing with dd because moms on here said it was something to do with a toddler-something about the dough and stuff.....well, that will have to wait until she can actually really help because it did make me mad pretty quickly and my goal as a mom is to not get mad, maybe even all day, and I maintain that pretty well with the few things we do do like baths, books, walks, and looking at animal picture books....not that I wouldn't love to expand the repetoire!

I'm looking forward to doing crafts and projects and making things with dd. I would even be ok with sports/activities, just get me out of this house! But don't ask me try and include dd in cleaning, cooking or doing the laundry!

[mistymama]

This is so much fun to read! It's amazing how different we all are - and I'm sure what we all like/dislike really depends on our personalities and our dc's!

We did 4 year old t-ball and I'd rather walk over hot coals than do that again. Didn't enjoy soccer much either, but would tolerate it if ds really wanted to. Guess I just really don't like group sports and I'm kinda anti social so I don't make friends and feel awkward the whole time. Ds does not care for them either, thank God.

Ds has been cooking with me since he was tiny - I remember putting him on the floor with a garbage bag under him (to catch the mess) and letting him go to town stiring stuff, "chopping" his own soft veggies with a little knife, etc. Now he's 6.5 and can actually help by cracking eggs, stir frying stuff in a pan, etc. I love cooking with him and it's one of our fave activities, he helps me with dinner each evening.

Another thing people might think is wierd - or at least I've had other Moms tell me no way in heck they would do it. We buy season passes to the water park in the summer and go several times a week. We go on all the waterslides together - I get great exercise (those things have a zillion stairs going up to them!) and we have a great time. People think I'm nuts.

[nextcommercial]

Soccer.

We tried it once, but I hated it. I was cold, I couldn't unfold my chair, practice started far too early on a saturday... It just wasn't my thing.

LOVED being a dance mom though... that turned out to be perfect for me. LOL..

Cuz it's allll about me.

[frontierpsych]

Pageants. Especially with small kids. Are. You. Kidding. Me?!

Basically anything happy-sunshiny-singalong-princessy-preschooly that goes on longer than 10 minutes or so is out.

DS is only a year, so I'm not sure what he'll like, or what I'll enjoy doing with him, but thus far, I don't mind cooking, crafts, etc.

[crl]

Originally Posted by sisteeesmama

the title says it all, I think.

Are there things other people talk about doing with their kids either here or IRL that you have nevr thought to do, wouldn't want to do or have done and can't imagine how said activity actually works with other people's kids....

For me I find myself wondering a lot when people tell me what they do with their kids, mostly on here, not so much IRL, how much different must they/their kids be from me/mine to make these things work.

Like cooking, for example! How does anyone cook with a 20month old??! I don't mean cook dinner, I mean for fun, as an activity? I have tried it and wanted to fling the pan across the room!!!

I'm one of the cooking people. But it was shear necessity. DS hated to be left to play while I cooked. He wanted me to hold him all. the. time. So after I got a callous on my hip from holding him so much (really), I finally figured out that he would be content standing on a chair and "helping" me cook. Mostly that meant "washing" things in the sink or helping me stir.

Anyway, I have no idea how people spend any length of time playing pretend games with their kids. It drives me insane. And I have no idea how people do art projects with their kids. I've always provided lots of art supplies and been fine with the mess. But DS' attention span for that stuff has been soooo short. I would spend more time getting paints out and poured into muffin tins than he would painting--not to mention the clean up time. I also have no idea how people go to places like Disneyland with their little kids. DS is easily overstimulated by noise, etc (as am I). He's 6 and I'm just now willing to even think about Disneyland. . . .

Catherine

[MacKinnon]

I love this thread I really do not care to play with my children for hours on end. Or much time at all. I'll cook, bake, rough house, go for walks, read books, do art projects, but sitting on the floor playing horses? cars? Ehhh.... I avoid it all costs, frankly. I have always encouraged DD to play independently, and she can, for hours. But parents that sit on the floor for an hour, or two, a day and play? That never fairs to amaze me!

[Dabble]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

but it's so frustrating and I just want to scream "just let me mix the $*&%$^ dough already!"

: That's me to a T! I can't tolerate anyone in the kitchen when I'm trying to cook, I don't know what it is. Just get the eff out of my way!

Originally Posted by nextcommercial

I was cold, I couldn't unfold my chair ....

laughup

Darn chair!


I mostly enjoy doing the artsy-craftsy type stuff that other posters have mentioned hating, but I agree that the short attention span of little ones can be frustrating. The set up/clean up is often the longest part of the project. Lots of fun for mom. But I do a weekly project with my son and daycare girl (both about 4 years old) and enjoy seeing their skills increase with practice. They scissor and glue much better than they did when we started, and they really look forward to it!

[babymommy2]

I have a friend who never locked up her poisons, she trusted her child would never take them, where as I had a 100% childproofed home. It was the only way I could cope with a 2 year old and a baby.

I don't like baking with kids. I love to bake but I have to sneek around to do it, as my kids love it too, but they are so messy. I have to be in a really really patient mood to plan to bake something with them.

I don't get how people have really late bedtimes either. my kids sleep 12 hours/night, we are usualy up at 6:30 or 7:00 am. If we weren'tup until late morning I would feel like the day was half gone and wsted. Morning is when I like to get things done, afternoons are for relaxing. And on weekends if I want to sleep in until 8 am, the TV is my babysitter.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by mistymama

Another thing people might think is wierd - or at least I've had other Moms tell me no way in heck they would do it. We buy season passes to the water park in the summer and go several times a week. We go on all the waterslides together - I get great exercise (those things have a zillion stairs going up to them!) and we have a great time. People think I'm nuts.

I don't think that's weird at all. I just don't like waterparks or waterslides myself, so I wouldn't enjoy that. If I enjoyed them, I'd definitely take the kids!

[dillonandmarasmom]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

I just had to respond to this. Playing princess isn't always about only being pretty and nice. DD played princess a lot when she was younger. But said princess was smart, a fast runner and always heading off to save people from dragons and monsters and bandits.

This is my DD, too. DS has a couple of knight suits and will wear one while DD gets her "princess" gear on. Then, they go off together to "have a battle." EOB (Equal Opportunity Battle), that is!