Scheduling for the Real Mother (time for a nap)

Have you ever had one of those weekends where you were just having too much fun? You attended three 8-year-old birthday parties, went to dinner with friends, cheered the Dodgers at a game and hosted a brunch with the extended family – only to wake up Monday morning thrilled at the thought of dragging yourself into the office, to REST. Sometimes we group our “fun activities” in such a way that we are having so much fun, we are too exhausted to enjoy any of it.
In fact, instead of celebrating our time together, we are running from one event to another, doing a quick change in the car betwee
Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah, our Sound of Music matinee and Grandpa’s 80th birthday party. The kids are fighting, no one has managed to eat (even though everywhere we go is piled high with food,) and my husband and I would give our worldly possessions for the chance to take a nap. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Not so much fun as, let’s see, how would I describe it? Oh yes, a living hell!
So at the risk of sounding like the real mother I am – I refuse to over-schedule our family anymore. If we are buying tickets to a special event like a show or a baseball game, that’s it for that weekend and I make sure the kids appreciate that event for what it is. So many families don’t have the chance to go to a baseball game, spend the day at the beach or attend a nice party. I want my children to know (and give myself a chance to remember) how lucky we all are by helping us to slow down and enjoy each moment. Otherwise, these special opportunities are reduced to another item on the weekend to-do list – to be crossed off.
Realistically, we cannot always avoid over-scheduling. Some events will pop up, coincide and conflict with plans already made. But, with some forethought, it is possible to minimize the stressful fun and maximize the appreciation of a great life. You may not always be popular if you adopt my plan, but you will always get the opportunity to take a nap.

Snoozing in L.A.,
Jamee