Cute No More

Remember those lovely early days of motherhood, when everything was adorable, each new discovery a joy, each new experience one to be relished?

OK, aside from the worry and sleep deprivation, I mean.

I do remember when I was uber-enthusiastic about playing with the kids, trying new things them, or doing things that were fun and creative and watching their obvious delight. The problem with childhood delight is that it lasts WAY longer than grown up delight. Like when the two-year old repeats MORE every time she is swung around and never ever tires of it, while the parent is over the fun after about three swings.

And now, 10 years on, I have a growing list of things that I used to think were cute, or creative, or fun, or cool, that I am so very sick and tired of and ready to be done with.

1. Coloring Page Printables from the Internet. In my early mom days, I loved searching the internet for new and interesting coloring pages for the kids. We would google whatever they were interested in a viola! Coloring pages and merriment would ensue. Now, it's a nightmare, with all of them crowding around me, touching my computer screen, screeching for a barbie page or a soccer page or a princess page or a puppy page. It's awful. It's like a set-up for "let's-see-how-long-it-takes-to-make-mom-wish-she-lived-in-a-convent-far-far-away." Not long would be the answer.

2. Applesauce with food coloring. Once upon a time, I thought this would be a fun way to jazz up applesauce, and get the picky eaters to eat it. It worked. The little darlings would swirl the colors around, try different combinations, and then gobble it up. Who knew I was creating a tribe of people who will not eat applesauce without colors? And now they are "old enough" to squirt the colors themselves, and those color stain things, like my wooden floor. Sigh.

3. Swings at the park. I am so over swings at the park. If I had known how mind-numbingly boring it can be to swing a child with an endless appetite for the swinging-sensation, I would have had fewer children.

Tell me: what are you tired of doing for the kiddos?

I know parenting is for the long haul. I know this is what I signed on for. I just like to bitch about it every now and then.

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