Filed in coffee with friends, SERIES |
{ The author’s kids and nephews enjoying their first week of summer. }
Heels in the Hills’ resident mommy blogger Barbara King is back with her weekly dose of hilarity on motherhood in Los Angeles, this time tackling WHY L.A. moms just can’t seem to let their kids be bored… (And why boredom is so important. An idea I FULLY support. Now excuse me while I go read a pile of trashy gossip mags.)
When I close my eyes and imagine summer I see lazy days at the beach (with a cooler of pre-made margaritas for me and icy cold apple juice boxes for the kiddos.) I envision long weekends in Ojai or “glamping” in Big Bear. I dream of taking the kids to every museum, zoo, and cultural anything within an hour of L.A. (aka 3.5 miles.) And of course, I imagine the kids safely and quietly splashing in our pool as I lay out and get through every suggested beach read People magazine has suggested for 2016.
Then I open my eyes and the annoying reality hits me like the theme song of Caillou. With kids – that idyllic idea of summer is really hard to obtain. Summers for my family have become a mad scramble of trips to visit relatives, getting to the park before the summer sun gets so hot it burns your eyebrows off, and suffering drowning-anxiety anytime our kids are within 100 feet of a pool.
{ For 10+ summers I danced on a deck nestled in the side of a mountain. I obviously did not grow-up in L.A. }
And now, for the first time, I’ve been faced with the summer camp question. Yes, in L.A. there are about as many summer camp choices as there are cars and similar to schools, each one is unique. Science or Art? Gymnastics or Spanish? How many thousands of dollars do you want to spend? And also like most things in L.A, camps and trips are mini-competitions among parents and, “What are your summer plans?” is a loaded question. I’m happy to say that in addition to camping and a family trip, I’ve finally decided on our summer plans: a healthy prescribed dose of daily boredom.
{ My kids and nephews practicing the magic art of boredom. }
My parents gave me a pretty good mix of summer camps, travel, and boredom. I loved dancing in my absolute favorite mountain dance camp every summer, (just as glorious as it sounds,) and traveling to visit family, but not every hour of my summer was booked with activities. I remember spending entire mornings in the backyard exploring, afternoons in the basement building Lego towns, or evenings sitting at the kitchen table creating my own worlds in sketches and stories. I could spend hours upon hours playing without needing anything from an adult – even as a 6 year old! I think overcoming boredom is a very important milestone and giving kids the freedom to choose their activities is wise. And I don’t mean – pottery workshop or Karate class. I mean, “you have a house full of stuff. Lunch is in the fridge. Figure it out yourself.” I know it’s not just me who thinks kids today lack in the independence department and really the best way to help solve boredom is to let your kids BE BORED. And you don’t have to face the boredom all alone. I’m especially excited because my Mommy BFFs and I set aside one day each week this summer for the kids to face boredom together. For those days: No museum visits, no pre-planned activities. Just a yard, some snacks, and our kids facing boredom together as a team. (And us mommies facing a shared pitcher of sangria.)
{ Here’s another one from my dance camp. I dream of recreating this for my own kids. }
Honestly, this is the last summer before my older child is whisked away to kindergarten so I want to embrace these next couple months and make them as special as possible. Camps and classes are awesome, but just as awesome are those moments in between all the “stuff” when kids learn how to create their own happiness.
Barbara King-Wilson is an actress and writer living with her family in Los Angeles. Follow her @TheBarbaraKing and visit her at www.barbaraking.com!
More from Barbara:
The Secret To What Men Actually Want For Father’s Day
How To Raise The Future Female President of America
So, Preschool Graduations Are A Thing Now
How I Didn’t (But Really Did) Find The Perfect School
10 Things That Cost The Same As Private School In L.A.
Three Schools You Can Only Find In L.A.
26 Questions To Ask On A School Tour
How I (Almost) Lost My Mind Applying to My Kid’s Elementary Schools
10 Questions L.A. Kids Have Asked Me
3 Signs You’re Ready To Be A Mom
Comments are closed here.