"Attentive parenting", is that when you are too tired to make "anal retentive" come out as two words?
Kim's earlier comment was right. We have been attentively parenting this past few days. As opposed to inattentively parenting, or absentee parenting, or obsessively parenting... Or the kind of completely screwed parenting I do when I forget to be inattentive, absent, obsessive or anal and instead try to lead a normal life: that never works.
This latest onslaught of attentive parenting is brought to us by the joy of school holidays and a long weekend. In some ways it is a joy. It's the last break for the kids before Christmas and it's good to have a three day weekend in the middle of the two weeks so we can have some relatively stress-free time together without the noisy or silent arguments about whose turn it is to give up work time to look after the school holiday-aged child.
In other ways, of course, it is the same kind of drama you always get when trying to juggle the conflicting interests (theirs: movies, swimming, eating fish and chips; ours: sleeping, sleeping, drinking pinot) and conflicting demands (theirs: more movies, more swimming, more chippies; ours: less, less, less) of five people, large and small.
Even though holidays put a strain on, it is becoming easier and easier to enjoy each other's company. The magic three year old landmark for the twins has catapaulted us out of babyhood and man am I glad to leave that shit-hole town behind. Sorry Kim, but I know you agree and besides, you're younger than me, you'll get through this next three years in a blink (hah!)
This particular set of holidays is made easier by some glorious weather. I can't remember a more perfect long weekend for years. Uninterrupted sunshine, long days, balmy nights. It's about 32 degrees out now (sorry Americans, go metric or do the maths yourselves!) which is a fraction too hot, even for heat-seeker me, so after spending a couple of hours at The Most Beautiful Zoo In The World this morning,
we're now back at our cool house, waiting for the sun to lose a bit of bite before heading out to the beach again. Judging by yesterday's experience, the sand will be hot, the water cold, the kids happy and the adults relaxed. Wish me luck for the rest of the day's attentivity...
mtc
bec
ps - can anyone tell me why it is "inattentive" but "unintended"? inquiring mind seeks hard and fast grammar rule.
posted by Bec at 10/03/2005 12:58:00 pm
7 Comments:
Ha ha. Glad to see I shamed you into posting.
I just made it through a regular weekend and I'm exhausted. Soccer games, garage sales, homework, a cranky husband with bronchitis, endless storybook reading- and just as I was about to heave a big sigh of relief tonight, I remembered that my annual gynocological exam is tomorrow. Oh joy.
That truly must be the most beautiful zoo in the world.
I am so hot, have the worst head cold and am feeling like shit. I'd go to bed but washed the sheets this morning, and lying on the manky woollen underlay is just not that enticing.
The boys have been inside playing on the computer most of the day as I lie on the lounge indulging in Rockstar INXS from the beginning to end.
Considering we live about 300 metres from the beach, I believe I am the personification of inattentive parenting today.
It is the most beautiful zoo - but it is also on a cliff face, and if you have children like mine, that insist on impulse animal viewing (as opposed to - oh goody, a map, lets work our way systematically from top to bottom and then get the sky-car back up the cliff) you spend so much time h.i.k.i.n.g. up and down the only thing you think of Taronga by the end is that it is a stinky shithole and that next time the grandparents can take them and have the joy.
See - hot, cranky, sick and pregnant. I am a picture of femininity today.
Stopping by to say Hello, Michele sent me... I won't even begin to attempt to comment on the parenting around here... the dd sure knows how to work her parents!!!
Good morning Bec. You left a comment above mine at Michele's , and even though it's not the rule of the game I thought I might stop in. What a beautiful shot of the zoo. We have a very nice one here in Philadelphia butthe location in no where near as scenic.
Ingredients for a perfect day. Take one child, mix with world's most beautiful zoo, add three little mates till perfect consistency is reached. Add lots of sunshine, loads of warmth and a dash of seawater. Feed sporadically, hose down at end of day, pop into bed. Child sleeps for 12 hours for first time ever.
Hey Alethea - happy to hear it. Ours dined heartily on a big bowl of chips (see post above) and fresh french stick and cheese, drank loads of water and went to bed without a whimper. As I type, they're into their 11th hour of uninterrupted sleep (not so the Pea Princess, who is on the other laptop grumping about the computer cheating her at backgammon)
g'day! Michele sent me. I will enjoy a virtual visit to your zoo, thanks for the link. Won't comment on parenting... been doing it 18 years now...
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