Raising Kids

Raising kids is tough business. There are so many things to remember, and it's hard to hit everything.

First, we have to make sure our kids get enough exercise. One hundred years ago, exercise happened naturally while kids did their daily chores and walked to school, etc. Now, we have to pencil in time for them to exercise. Even twenty years ago we were able to walk outside, shouting, "Mom, I'm going to so-and-so's to play! Be back by dinner!" Now, we have to keep watchful eyes over our children, never leaving them unsupervised, because the world is a more dangerous place. There are child predators lurking all around us. So it becomes easier to let your kids watch a lot of TV and make them play inside.

Even playing outside in the backyard can be a dangerous plight. There are safety concerns. In our backyard, we have grass, a couple of trees and a rock border. The rocks are a safety hazard--the boys will pick them up and throw them--at each other, at the dog, at the house, into the air conditioning unit, etc. Someone's likely to lose an eye. For Christmas, the boys got a climbing unit--a little fortress with a slide and rock wall for them to climb on and play on. Now it's a safety concern to leave them back there unsupervised, lest they fall and break an arm. Then child services could swoop in, claiming that we are negligent parents and tuck our kids away in foster homes that are far worse than their real home.

So getting exercise is a tough challenge. Then there's eating. With the rise of childhood obesity, we need to carefully watch what they eat in relation to how much exercise they get. My kids will only eat peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, and homemade macaroni and cheese. They eat a lot of fat in their diet (the peanut butter, the cheese, etc), and I constantly worry that they are going to be obese. At least I can get them to take a daily vitamin, Usanimals.

Then there's sun exposure. You're not supposed to send your kids out to play without slathering them from head to toe with sunscreen. Having three kids who like to play outside means I spend a good 15 minutes slathering sunscreen before they can enjoy the sunshine, even if they only decide to play out there for 15 minutes. If I don't, they could get skin cancer.

Anyway, I just had to get that out into the universe, some of my frustrations with raising kids. Nobody ever tells you how hard it truly is. Of course, if they did, would you believe them before having kids? Probably not...same as not believing that marriage is hard before tying the knot...