When you’re making choices as a parent concerning your children and your family, it’s easy to choose whatever is most comfortable and convenient in the moment. But a friend of mine once gave me a much better criterion for making these decisions — asking yourself: “What pattern do I want to set for my family?”
Let me give you a couple of examples of how we’ve used this advice.
Have you ever been camping with small children? It’s a hassle and a half. There’s the packing and unpacking. The fact that little kids can’t do all that much that makes this form of recreation enjoyable (can’t hike very far, swim, bait their own fishing hook, etc.). And the fact that they roll around in the tent and make what is already an unpleasant night’s sleep more unpleasant. The trip is a blast for them, but for Mom and Dad? It’s more work than fun. But, we’ve nevertheless tried to go camping at least once a year, even when the kids were young, just to set this pattern from the start: “The McKays spend time in the outdoors.”
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
1 comment:
Northwest Woodsman: Reminds me of the 18 years or so that I moored my 35 ft sailboat in San Diego. All my family and friends loved to go out sailing and I enjoyed it also. Trouble was none were sailers and I had to do all the work. Took two hours to prepare to go out and then another two to three hours to secure her after we were back in the slip. Actually the best part of having her in San Diego was the frequent weekend escapes from my assignment in Las Vegas. That kept me sane. If I had to spend any more time in Las Vegas than necessary for my job, I’d have jumped off the Coronado bridge!
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