My friend recently asked me how I handle going to the park with two little guys who can both run around. Who do I chase after? Who do I monitor? How do I relax?
The answer is quite simple. I don’t relax. I spend my time following around my youngest, helping him to navigate the playground and teaching him how to manipulate the toy structure. While assisting my youngest I am watching my oldest as he plays with other kids at the park. I am watching to make sure he behaves himself and doesn’t get into any trouble.
My
older son is three-years old and is very independent. He likes to make new friends
everywhere he goes. When he plays he plays all out until he crashes. He is a
typical boy, in that he likes to run, jump, and climb on everything. He likes
to play in the dirt and he loves to look for bugs. He is a pretty good listener
and follows directions very well. This makes park play time possible. If he did
not listen, we would not go to the park.
When
my little guy was a baby and my big boy was not quite so big I did a lot of
baby-wearing at the park. It is easier to chase a toddler around a park when I
am baby-wearing than it is when I have to constantly be trying to pick up both
kids and juggle them around.
I
am envious of those mothers who can sit down on the park bench and visit with
other moms while their children run wild and free through the park. Maybe when
my boys are a little older I will be able to do this too. Right now my peanuts
are still learning what is safe and what is dangerous and they still need their
mommy to be there to catch them when they try to take a nose dive off a ladder.
There
is no sitting back and relaxing at the park for this mom. I chase my children
all over the park and then some. I am constantly monitoring my children while
trying not to hover over them. I also enjoy naptime immensely.
