I went to the park this week with my family. We brought my son's baseball gear to play a little and practice some skills. He wanted to play but my daughter did not, so she and I played "hide and seek" while my husband and son played some baseball.
Meanwhile, three little kids... probably 8, 4, 2 years old... kind of, well, adopted us. The older boy stared longingly at my boys while they played ball (until he finally begin to play), and the younger two began to hound me to play hide and seek with us, and to help them reach the monkey bars, and to catch them when they jumped, and to hold their sweaters...
This doesn't usually bug me. I mean... I generally love kids. Generally. Like, the concept in general. I really do! But admittedly, I am usually indifferent at best to other people's kids (unless I really know them/their parents). So I guess as it gets more specific, I'm indifferent. Kids are kids and they're usually cute and innocent and bah blah blah. I like the children of my friends, and the friends of my children. I'm "meh" about stranger kids but naturally take a bit more of an interest once they start interacting/playing with my kids.
But I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE being the "playmate" of stranger kids. I loathe it. I am happy to play with my children, and then a few others in like a one-kid radius of that... but stranger kids who rope me into some sort of game or activity really kind of bug me.
Now... add into that a mom who is sitting mere inches away, nose in her iPad, not even pretending to pay attention or care what her kids are doing. Sure, she could be researching a cure for cancer. Sure. Or she could be instant messaging with a friend who just got a divorce and needs a cyber-shoulder to cry on. SURE. But I don't think that's what was happening.
I GET THE NEED TO GO TO A PARK AND LET YOUR KIDS JUST PLAY IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE INVOLVEMENT OR INTERACTION BY YOU SO YOU CAN READ PEOPLE MAGAZINE ONLINE. I do! Believe me, I do. I think I might have invented that need, actually. But it's not MY job to give you your "solo park time." It's not MY job to entertain your kids, to play with them, to help them on the monkey bars, to hold their sweaters! I'm happy to do it a little... maybe once or twice. "It takes a village" and all, I know... so I AM a bit happy to help... But come on. I'm a stranger after all. And I have kids of my own. And I'M NOT YOUR BABYSITTER.
So look up every once in a while. Check on your kids. Make sure they're happy. Make sure they're still there for crying out loud. And please... if you see your kids ya know, INCESSANTLY HOUNDING ME, please intervene.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
OMG! Right? I eventually tell said kids that I need to help my kid right now. Or sit down and chat up said woman so that then they have to bug someone else. heh.
AND do you remember when we were at L's park and that kid just wandered out of his house in his jammies. And I (stupidly?) left my kids with you to take him back home? That was one of the scarier times in my life and I seriously should have just called the cops because that place was scary and the guy who was home was scarier and that kid made me sad. sigh.
that is all.
Post a Comment