For once I feel like a great parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait - OP says they
1) go to birthday parties
2) have one activity for 45 minutes each weekend day
3) go to the park

OP WTF - that is not "hanging around the house" - you are taking your kid to structured activities, birthdays, and playgrounds. That is a pretty normal weekend for the vast majority of kids in this area.

I think OP meant they did this BEFORE the whole virus thing. Still this judgy, humblebrag is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait - OP says they
1) go to birthday parties
2) have one activity for 45 minutes each weekend day
3) go to the park

OP WTF - that is not "hanging around the house" - you are taking your kid to structured activities, birthdays, and playgrounds. That is a pretty normal weekend for the vast majority of kids in this area.

No it’s not normal for the DMV. Many kids basically spend their weekends being shuttled from one activity to another, eating in the car, and then come home to to have dinner and bathe and sleep. They are so over-scheduled and don’t know what to do with themselves if they are not in a structured activity or staring at a screen (as many of these DCUM threads evidence)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My kids have an online component of learning for their EC activities. They are on Zoom, Facetime etc and doing all the learning. I feel good we have a full home gym and the kids are using it somewhat (20-30 minutes). They also have online classes with their tutors or other resources aligned with their curriculum. My kids have also organized daily chats with their friends and I hear them laughing and talking to their friends.

I can extremely happy that I am winning in these dystopian times but the truth is that I am also privileged because I am rich, very educated, raised in a functional family and in a super functional marriage. I am also lucky that through nature and nurture and intact family life my kids are also benefiting and they do not have any learning or health disability. They are not depressed or addicted. They are delightful, high performing, thoughful teens.

Things have come about easily and allowed me to take correct and beneficial steps and I can pat myself on the back and say that I am great this or that. But, think about this - a tornado, hurricane, 9/11 or riots will see all of this destroyed - and we all will be crying "mommy".

Besides, the people who are poor, losing their jobs, single parents, sick, have sick relatives, have small kids, have family that is deployed, are essential providers etc, they are he ones who are suffering.

You and I have not suffered. We have not been tested yet. This is NOTHING.

I’m obviously not taking about minimum wage retail workers. I’m talking about educated UMC people who simply drive their kids to activities all day to keep them occupied while they get to stare at their phones

[Anonymous]

I do what you do except I have 3 kids. My kids play sports and my oldest did Science Olympiad so they had study sessions on weekends.

When they were younger, they may have taken a 45 min soccer class or art class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - OP says they
1) go to birthday parties
2) have one activity for 45 minutes each weekend day
3) go to the park

OP WTF - that is not "hanging around the house" - you are taking your kid to structured activities, birthdays, and playgrounds. That is a pretty normal weekend for the vast majority of kids in this area.

No it’s not normal for the DMV. Many kids basically spend their weekends being shuttled from one activity to another, eating in the car, and then come home to to have dinner and bathe and sleep. They are so over-scheduled and don’t know what to do with themselves if they are not in a structured activity or staring at a screen (as many of these DCUM threads evidence)

Pp who said I had 3 kids here. I am sure many people may think our family is overscheduled. I don’t think each kid is overscheduled but our weekends are packed.

Sample weekend

Kid 1: Soccer game, birthday party, cub scouts hike
Kid 2: Tennis clinic, Science Olympiad meeting
Kid 3: Birthday party, run errands with mom or dad

Then we may have a family outing like to see cherry blossoms or cox farms type thing if we are free and we usually go out to eat for brunch or dinner. Dh and I also have friends we socialize with. We sometimes do date night. Sometimes we host some friends and their families at our house.

I do not think we are go, go, go but I’m sure others think we are. Most of the time, one parent takes one kid to their sport while other spouse is home with other 1-2 kids. We carpool. Kids still play outside.

It is hard for us to be home all day. I personally love going out. DH is a homebody as is my oldest. My social middle child misses his friends but doesn’t seem to mind the extra screen time he is getting. I still take my toddler out on stroller walks so she doesn’t know any better.

[Anonymous]

So many happy returns OP. You win. You get to stay home for months. Hurrah. Maybe jobless and penniless too for fun new challenges.

[Anonymous]

OP sounds awfully smug, but I do get where she's coming from. One of our neighbor kids is 4 and kid always looks exhausted because she spends a full day at preschool (8:30-3) then has afterschool classes four of five weekdays and her weekends are filled with more classes and playdates. Girl still rides in a stroller(!!!) because she's too exhausted to walk to everywhere she goes! I live in a top 1% area and most kids are like this. We are definitely the outliers who limit afterschool activities, chill at home a lot and oh send our kid to public school (we got lots of wide eyes to this one lol). But I do agree with PPs who say child personality and age are factors; I'm sure when DD is older, our weekends will be a lot more busy.