Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Quality Time, Schmaulity Time

Does the internet ever make you feel like a bad parent?  Lately, I've been reading lots of posts on Facebook, Pinterest, and other blogs about fun family outings, crafty things to do with your kids, and that sort of stuff.  Quite frankly, it's been making me feel rather guilty.  I/we just don't do a lot of that around here.  Most of the time, I'm just happy if there's a few minutes of peace and quiet in the day when we are not running here, there, and everywhere and when the kids aren't fighting or complaining about something.

Today, however, it was a beautiful afternoon, we didn't have anywhere we had to be, and I was determined to spend some quality time with my girls.  So, after school, I took them to get some ice cream. Then, we made a quick run to Target which was actually going pretty well until we were about 15 minutes in.  That's when the 4 year old had a doozie of a meltdown and that was the end of the Target trip.

By the time we got home, everyone had composed themselves and we all headed outside.  Megan complained because she wanted to stay inside and play on the computer, but I forced her to go outside for some fun!  (Is it still fun if it's forced??)  Rachel wanted to throw a frisbee with me and me only, so she was less than thrilled when Emily wanted in on the game.  When she told Emily to go away, there was, of course, another meltdown.  After about twenty minutes, they all made their way back inside and I was left outside playing fetch with the dog.  I headed inside as well, and took a break from trying to create quality time.

Within about 30 minutes, the girls all went back outside one by one.  I decided to give it one more shot and went back out to join them.  It lasted all of 15 minutes and was ended abruptly by a bike crash.  (Don't worry - everyone is fine!)  We ended up sitting on the couch together watching the last 20 minutes of  "Four Weddings" on TLC.  That's a quality girly thing to do isn't it??

Now I remember why we don't often do the "quality time" stuff like this - it almost always ends in disaster, frustration, or bickering - OR all of the above.  So, today I say Quality Time Schmaulity Time!  Sometimes just surviving is good enough.

So how often does "quality time" happen at your house and what does that look like for your family??  Leave me comment and let me know! :)

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5 comments:

Dawn said...

Great story! Been there, lived that. We try for quality time. Sometimes it works (we like card games together); sometimes it bombs.

Krissy Miller said...

i think the interest makes us all feel like bad parents! :) our family spends "quality time" tickling the kids and playing "monsters" (aka scaring them while they yell and run around) - they're young, it's easy and fun :) i do look forward to having game night with our kids when they're older though. i love board games and i think i'm going to be the most excited about them!! :)

Tara said...

every day I feel like a failure of a parent at least once! as far as quality time (and keep in mind I only have 2 kiddos...3 and 15 months), we always sit down together or family dinner, and we have book time before bed. This summer we've got 4 camping trips planned (crossing my fingers it doesn't rain...we are in Seattle after all), and lots of time playing out in the yard. But crafty stuff? Forget it! Timmy hates art projects and, at this age, Gemma is more interested in eating crayons (hence the multi-colored poop I see in her diapers) than playing with them:)

Robin Kramer said...

Oh, Lisa, I get you. I find that spending too much time online -- whether reading other blogs or being on Pinterest - can quickly make it seem as if everyone is doing more than you (and that they're doing it better.)

That's why honest blogging (like this post) is valuable. No one's got it all together all of the time!

Grace, grace, grace. (My mantra when all things seem to be crashing around me.)

Lisa Witherspoon said...

Thanks, ladies!! You all have made me feel better about my failed attempt! I have shifted my focus a bit and decided that, instead of trying to "create equality time, I just need to find that quality in the ordinary moments - like tonight's impromptu sing along in the car. :-)

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