(The ghostwriter-that's me- the auntie of all five of the Carr's basketball team;felt that it was important to address this situation. I might be projecting some of my own opinions in this post as a teacher and an aunt. I do however feel that my sister- the mom of the five shares most if not all my opinions.)
A Mother's Fear
Past and recent events make me wonder. They make me wonder what life will be like when all my children are grown up. I am a black mother raising a young black man, a young black woman, two young white women and one white male. (I use future tense while writing this.)
A mother's fear for her young black son: when will he be stopped by the police walking home from a friends house just as night falls, because he fits the description of someone in the area? When will he face direct discrimination when he leaves the confines of his safe and inviting home and surrounding community? When will he have to put his hands up and say, " I am not resisting officer, I am following your instructions." When will he have to fight harder than his white counterparts to get into the upper level classes, and have his college application scrutinized more because he is a minority? When will he have a family of his own and worry about the same things I worry about as his mother?
A mother's fear for her young black daughter: When will she be called "ghetto", "chicken-head" or some other derogatory comment? When will she be asked if she aspires to be a "video girl?" When will she not longer have the desire to be the "smart girl" because it is not favored by society, that a black girl can be smart. When will someone look my child in her face and say, "You can't play soccer professionally, you are black and black girls don't play soccer." When will I have to tell her that she will have to be stronger than myself, her grandmother, her great-grandmother and her great-great grandmother combined so that she she can walk proudly as a woman, not just a black woman? When will she potentiality be told she is worth nothing because her skin is darker than others? When will she have a family of her own and worry about the same things I worry about as her mother?
A mother's fear for her two young white daughters: When will they be told that they are N*****-lovers because they are apart of our family? When will they be told that they need to stop "acting black" because they are white? When will they be told that white girls don't get their hair braided in cornrows, only black girls do? When will they be told that are nothing but "white trash" because of the mother G-d gave them at the start of their lives? When will they be told by a young white male that he can't date them because their parents and two siblings are black? When will they have families of their own and worry about the same things I worry about as their mother?
A mother's fear for her young white son: He might be special needs, but the only thing special about him is how big and loving his heart is. When will he be told that he can't do something because of the, what I like to call his "different-ability"? When will he be told he can't hang out with his older brother when he is older because people don't believe they are related? When will others start to tell him that he doesn't "match" the rest of his family? When will he be told that he shouldn't date a non-white girl because other girls will only be after him for his money and use him? When will he get to college and be told that he can't be in a club because he isn't the "right fit" for that group? When will he have a family of his own and worry about the same things I worry about as his mother?
The world is constantly changing and in this country and others, it is apparent that race IS an issue. Do not tell me that it isn't. I do not need people to tell me that people are being more open about the discussion of race, because they are not. Do not get offended and call me another "angry black woman," because I speak my mind about the fact that my children were born with a disadvantage. Do not tell me that race doesn't matter, that when you see my family, you don't stare and turn your head. Do not tell me that we can have this dialogue without anyone heated debate. I'm sorry, do you go to bed and do you wake up with the same dark/brown skin, or put on the same hijab or other religious head covering on every morning? If you don't, then guess what? I am going to be heated in my discussion with you about race and let's throw religion in there too. I and many others like me walk around with a visible mark on us, whether it be our skin color, or our religious coverings/dress. We have a right to be "heated" when we talk about race, it is something we live with everyday. We are called names, we are belittled in the news as nothing more than "aggressive," "terrorists," "ghetto," etc. It is not something that we can just not deal with, it is who we are. We are the color we are, we are the religion we are and we adhere to our faith accordingly, so white America needs to stop telling us to calm down. We don't need to calm down, we need you to get just as angry about what is going on in this country and elsewhere in order for things to truly change.
And with that I leave you with one thought; Do you fear for your children's lives when they leave the house? (This is this mother's fear.)
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Tools on hand...
The last post I talked about how K, one of the littles had two hammers under her pillow while sleeping in her brother's room. Now this is not shocking to me, as she has always wanted to have some type of "tool" with her at any given time. Gangsta Granny might have perpetuated this need just a little bit, but that's just how she rolls. Well, K suffers from severe anxiety and we are in the process of trying to find therapy for her to help deal with this. She will meltdown at the drop of a dime. She has a distinct fear of being left behind, even though she is included in everything we do as a family.
With all of that being said, I too suffer from severe panic/anxiety myself. This may just be a manifestation from raising her, but it is getting to the point that we need to step in and get her help. I have been working on my anxiety for awhile now and do take medicine to help relieve the anxiousness I feel on a regular basis. Most people think I am happy go lightly, but what they do not know is that I am anxious for a majority of the day. I am coping and I hope that K will be able to cope with this as well, once we find the therapy we are looking for. As parents, we do not want to see our child go through this. It is heartbreaking. We do all we can to make sure she feels secure and safe at all times. But one drawback to her anxiety is the need to ALWAYS have a "tool with her. It's kind of like Linus from Peanuts- he had his blanket; K has her "tools."
I took all the kiddos to the water park last week and my sister called to ask what was in K's hand in the picture. She thought it was her screwdriver, which she does try to take with her. I assured her that it was not the screwdriver, but her rocket toy. But wait there is more...I had to explain that the point on the rocket is rather pointy. Again, I think she has this need to feel safe at all times and having her "tool" of choice that day allows her to do so.
As I raise a multicultural/multiracial family, having been raised in one myself, I noticed one thing; we as a family tend to push these issues under the rug, until it effects our children directly. As an adult, I sought out the help I needed. My sister sought the help she needed. But with K, she can not do so, it is up to me to do that for her. In many black families there is always the auntie or uncle that is always a little "off", but we just laugh it off and just make a joke of it. There is a stigma with mental illness, in our society in general, but in my family and many minority families, we always joked about the auntie that was a little "crazy." We laugh and what they do and say and just ignore the root of the problem. Minorities are less likely to seek help for mental illness, which tells you about the stigma attached to it is great!
NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness) has a wonderful video talking and discussion talking about the reason many African Americans do not get help for mental illness. As a family we are trying to break this stigma and not be the "auntie" and "niece" that is a little "off." We are speaking out about what is going on and if that helps at least one other person know that they do not have to suffer in silence, and there is help for you, then we will SHOUT it from the rooftop. My youngest sister(my ghostwriter) is very open about what she has been through in the last two years and will tell you that having an open discussion about mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Just like talking about the person in your family that has cancer and how they are doing, families need to talk about mental illness as well and how it is not just an "invisible disease," it is physical as well.
If you would like more information about mental illness and ways to get help for you or a family member visit the NAMI website: https://www.nami.org
Off to another adventure with my crew!
With all of that being said, I too suffer from severe panic/anxiety myself. This may just be a manifestation from raising her, but it is getting to the point that we need to step in and get her help. I have been working on my anxiety for awhile now and do take medicine to help relieve the anxiousness I feel on a regular basis. Most people think I am happy go lightly, but what they do not know is that I am anxious for a majority of the day. I am coping and I hope that K will be able to cope with this as well, once we find the therapy we are looking for. As parents, we do not want to see our child go through this. It is heartbreaking. We do all we can to make sure she feels secure and safe at all times. But one drawback to her anxiety is the need to ALWAYS have a "tool with her. It's kind of like Linus from Peanuts- he had his blanket; K has her "tools."
I took all the kiddos to the water park last week and my sister called to ask what was in K's hand in the picture. She thought it was her screwdriver, which she does try to take with her. I assured her that it was not the screwdriver, but her rocket toy. But wait there is more...I had to explain that the point on the rocket is rather pointy. Again, I think she has this need to feel safe at all times and having her "tool" of choice that day allows her to do so.
As I raise a multicultural/multiracial family, having been raised in one myself, I noticed one thing; we as a family tend to push these issues under the rug, until it effects our children directly. As an adult, I sought out the help I needed. My sister sought the help she needed. But with K, she can not do so, it is up to me to do that for her. In many black families there is always the auntie or uncle that is always a little "off", but we just laugh it off and just make a joke of it. There is a stigma with mental illness, in our society in general, but in my family and many minority families, we always joked about the auntie that was a little "crazy." We laugh and what they do and say and just ignore the root of the problem. Minorities are less likely to seek help for mental illness, which tells you about the stigma attached to it is great!
NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness) has a wonderful video talking and discussion talking about the reason many African Americans do not get help for mental illness. As a family we are trying to break this stigma and not be the "auntie" and "niece" that is a little "off." We are speaking out about what is going on and if that helps at least one other person know that they do not have to suffer in silence, and there is help for you, then we will SHOUT it from the rooftop. My youngest sister(my ghostwriter) is very open about what she has been through in the last two years and will tell you that having an open discussion about mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Just like talking about the person in your family that has cancer and how they are doing, families need to talk about mental illness as well and how it is not just an "invisible disease," it is physical as well.
If you would like more information about mental illness and ways to get help for you or a family member visit the NAMI website: https://www.nami.org
Off to another adventure with my crew!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
"Raising a Thug in Suburbia, a Memoir"
Summer time... what a wonderful time of year, where teachers get to recover and parents are now having to figure out what the hell to do with their children, just like the teachers do 180 days of the year. (yes, the ghostwriter is a teacher, so I am writing from experience.) I digress...in our house none of the basketball team really sleeps in their own room, Except for H, he is a big man on campus and has his own room downstairs now. The littles and even C and M all like to pile into one room and sleep together. We make "palettes" or blanket beds on the floor for the littles to sleep on, because they think its fun. K wanted to sleep in Z's room as she often does; no problem. I make the floor up for her with blankets and pillows and they drift off into slumber land.
During the summer, the team still kind of stick to the schedule from the school year. They might stay up a little later, but they do get up around the same time. I however, let my hubby stick to his schedule and get the team ready for the day. I stay my ass in bed...it only makes sense right?
When I do finally get up, I have to clean up- you know that OCD kicks in like my momma's and I have to make my rounds around the upstairs first. I go to pick up the blankets and pillows on the floor where K was sleeping. At this point I am not really even shocked by it anymore...it's just a part of her that somehow, g-ma, (gangsta granny as I will now refer to her as.) has instilled in my small child that you have to be ready for anything. Gangsta Granny, has a "hit you stick" in her car, sleeps with a knife by her bed and might even have several tucked away in random places throughout her house. Ok, ok, you are wondering what I found under the pillow that K was sleeping on...two of her toy hammers places just right for her to grab if needed. I remind you she is sleeping next to her brother, in a house that has a security alarm and a giant ass pit bull as well.What the hell does she need these for? In the past, I have mentioned the screwdriver, the plastic knife and then the switchblade, so again, the hammers are just one more item to add to the list of weapons my cute little with dimples for days and freckles for mile is ready to use when needed. (I swear she might be preparing for the zombie apocalypse.)
During the summer, the team still kind of stick to the schedule from the school year. They might stay up a little later, but they do get up around the same time. I however, let my hubby stick to his schedule and get the team ready for the day. I stay my ass in bed...it only makes sense right?
When I do finally get up, I have to clean up- you know that OCD kicks in like my momma's and I have to make my rounds around the upstairs first. I go to pick up the blankets and pillows on the floor where K was sleeping. At this point I am not really even shocked by it anymore...it's just a part of her that somehow, g-ma, (gangsta granny as I will now refer to her as.) has instilled in my small child that you have to be ready for anything. Gangsta Granny, has a "hit you stick" in her car, sleeps with a knife by her bed and might even have several tucked away in random places throughout her house. Ok, ok, you are wondering what I found under the pillow that K was sleeping on...two of her toy hammers places just right for her to grab if needed. I remind you she is sleeping next to her brother, in a house that has a security alarm and a giant ass pit bull as well.What the hell does she need these for? In the past, I have mentioned the screwdriver, the plastic knife and then the switchblade, so again, the hammers are just one more item to add to the list of weapons my cute little with dimples for days and freckles for mile is ready to use when needed. (I swear she might be preparing for the zombie apocalypse.)
Why do they eat so much???
Summer is upon us and my grocery budget is doubling...anyone else with children notice this phenomenon in their house? As you know me and the hubby have five children- three bigs and then two littles. Now here is the fun part; my pantry is rather large and stays stocked thanks to my savvy shopping and my mother and father who buy certain items the littles like in bulk at the commissary on the base. When our basketball team is at school, the pantry stays rather stocked, since they aren't home all day to eat everything in sight.
H probably eats the most out of all the team. He is 13 now, and he plays sports, so I guess it only makes since that if I want him to surpass his father in height, I better feed him as much food as his body can handle for the human growth hormone to kick in. (I plan on retiring once he gets drafted for whatever sport he settles on after college-so I have to keep him strong!) While my sister and her husband were visiting, my sister pointed out that the littles, K and Z just kind of pick at their food. Now, Z will eat mini muffins that g-ma brings like there is no tomorrow. K and Z love milk, cheese, and yogurt, so that is always on the ready for them. C and M eat, but for the most part they are pretty picky eaters too. So, I have a lot going with this little team of mine. I have to keep the house stocked with certain foods that everyone will eat. Now, again let me stress that when school is in session, this is not a problem.
I went to the store the other day with the intent on just getting CARROTS. Why in the hell did I walk out of the store with a cart full of food? I must have been doing an inventory in my head of the pantry and thinking to myself, we need that, because C likes it and eats it all day, or H needs this for when he is at practice, and then M and the littles love this as well...WTF! There are five mouths but they eat like we have 15 children in the house. I try to send them to their friend's house so they can eat their food, but they keep coming back home and eating everything! I just keep telling myself, H only has to eat food in this house for five more years and then he will only be back on holidays and breaks from college. M is right around the same time frame as H. But then I think about C, Z and K-I can't even count how many years left that they will be consuming vast amounts of food from this house. I just know that I need to start putting a few dollars back each school year so I am ready for the summer food extravaganza!
H probably eats the most out of all the team. He is 13 now, and he plays sports, so I guess it only makes since that if I want him to surpass his father in height, I better feed him as much food as his body can handle for the human growth hormone to kick in. (I plan on retiring once he gets drafted for whatever sport he settles on after college-so I have to keep him strong!) While my sister and her husband were visiting, my sister pointed out that the littles, K and Z just kind of pick at their food. Now, Z will eat mini muffins that g-ma brings like there is no tomorrow. K and Z love milk, cheese, and yogurt, so that is always on the ready for them. C and M eat, but for the most part they are pretty picky eaters too. So, I have a lot going with this little team of mine. I have to keep the house stocked with certain foods that everyone will eat. Now, again let me stress that when school is in session, this is not a problem.
I went to the store the other day with the intent on just getting CARROTS. Why in the hell did I walk out of the store with a cart full of food? I must have been doing an inventory in my head of the pantry and thinking to myself, we need that, because C likes it and eats it all day, or H needs this for when he is at practice, and then M and the littles love this as well...WTF! There are five mouths but they eat like we have 15 children in the house. I try to send them to their friend's house so they can eat their food, but they keep coming back home and eating everything! I just keep telling myself, H only has to eat food in this house for five more years and then he will only be back on holidays and breaks from college. M is right around the same time frame as H. But then I think about C, Z and K-I can't even count how many years left that they will be consuming vast amounts of food from this house. I just know that I need to start putting a few dollars back each school year so I am ready for the summer food extravaganza!
Sunday, June 12, 2016
We are back....
Did you miss the wonderful stories of my amazing family? (Well, as the ghostwriter for my sister and her basketball team, I have been super busy with finishing up my degree and getting ready to start my doctorate soon, so I have a good excuse.)
Let's see...had my youngest sister and her husband finally make the trip with our mom for the weekend. This is a big deal, she suffers from super anxiety like I do, so I applaud her for doing it. It was a fun time, her husband got to meet my husband and they hit it off quickly. They bonded over letting my mom tell them where to place the plants and rock in the garden.
Now you know this can't be a Carr story without someone screaming or hurting themselves, soooooo:
1. K. the little of the littles has my sister running around trying to find a pair a shoes that she can wear outside...but let me tell you something K had already got mud on three pairs and was trying to get over on my sister-YES THERE WAS SCREAMING FROM K, no she did not have her plastic knife or screwdriver with her to attack her auntie for not giving in to her! But she knew what was up, she wasn't about to let a little get over on her. (She has been subbing with littles, so she has figured out how to talk to them.) After the third time wanting to change shoes, she was relegated to either sitting in the house with her auntie or wearing a pair of shoes that were already dirty. IN the end K and my sister and then Z sat in the living room and talked, she even got Z to eat strawberries and kiwi. She sat with K after Z went back outside to help, and just talked with her. (Maybe she is turning into the little kid whisperer.)
2. Took mom and sister to the store, while the men folk grilled. Momma had bought red potatoes and wanted them grilled. She has them wrapped up and ready to take out to the grill. (Backstory: my mom has been wearing these "croc" wannabe shoes for awhile and I told her they were ugly and not good for her feet.) As my mother walks down the steps to the back yard, she steps on the train of her long ass dress, slips, because those damn shoes have not grip and holds onto the potatoes the whole way down five concrete steps! The two hubbies are outside, but aren't sure what they really heard, so they come running and find my mother on the ground with a tin foil packet of potatoes in her hand. My hubby runs to help my mother up, "with the strength of two men she cracked my bones in my arm" according to my husband, as my sisters hubby runs inside to tell us that she fell. "OHHHHH LOOOOORRRRRD!" is all the bigs heard while sitting in the living room right off the back of the house. The oldest big, had to make fun of g-ma..."OHHHHHH LOOOORRRRD! Pimp Down!" So, long story short, my mother goes home in the boot my husband had when he had foot surgery about three years ago.
Just to give you a little to wet your whistle...
Let's see...had my youngest sister and her husband finally make the trip with our mom for the weekend. This is a big deal, she suffers from super anxiety like I do, so I applaud her for doing it. It was a fun time, her husband got to meet my husband and they hit it off quickly. They bonded over letting my mom tell them where to place the plants and rock in the garden.
Now you know this can't be a Carr story without someone screaming or hurting themselves, soooooo:
1. K. the little of the littles has my sister running around trying to find a pair a shoes that she can wear outside...but let me tell you something K had already got mud on three pairs and was trying to get over on my sister-YES THERE WAS SCREAMING FROM K, no she did not have her plastic knife or screwdriver with her to attack her auntie for not giving in to her! But she knew what was up, she wasn't about to let a little get over on her. (She has been subbing with littles, so she has figured out how to talk to them.) After the third time wanting to change shoes, she was relegated to either sitting in the house with her auntie or wearing a pair of shoes that were already dirty. IN the end K and my sister and then Z sat in the living room and talked, she even got Z to eat strawberries and kiwi. She sat with K after Z went back outside to help, and just talked with her. (Maybe she is turning into the little kid whisperer.)
2. Took mom and sister to the store, while the men folk grilled. Momma had bought red potatoes and wanted them grilled. She has them wrapped up and ready to take out to the grill. (Backstory: my mom has been wearing these "croc" wannabe shoes for awhile and I told her they were ugly and not good for her feet.) As my mother walks down the steps to the back yard, she steps on the train of her long ass dress, slips, because those damn shoes have not grip and holds onto the potatoes the whole way down five concrete steps! The two hubbies are outside, but aren't sure what they really heard, so they come running and find my mother on the ground with a tin foil packet of potatoes in her hand. My hubby runs to help my mother up, "with the strength of two men she cracked my bones in my arm" according to my husband, as my sisters hubby runs inside to tell us that she fell. "OHHHHH LOOOOORRRRRD!" is all the bigs heard while sitting in the living room right off the back of the house. The oldest big, had to make fun of g-ma..."OHHHHHH LOOOORRRRD! Pimp Down!" So, long story short, my mother goes home in the boot my husband had when he had foot surgery about three years ago.
Just to give you a little to wet your whistle...
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Sharing is Caring
Sorry, it has been awhile since the last post. I have been busy with school and other things. (My sister points this out to me when I talk to her, since I am her ghostwriter.) Alright, let's do this.
First, I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! It is almost FRIDAY.
I wanted to talk about my two of the bigs; C and H today. They came into my life shortly after getting married to my husband and have been a joy since I gave birth to them. Somehow, they have developed into loving and giving children, beyond my wildest dreams. When we first decided to foster, we talked to H and C about it. We talk about EVERYTHING in this family. When I say EVERYTHING, I mean EVERYTHING! So, Z comes into our lives and like I told you before, H would give him whatever he wanted, because he felt that he "already had a hard life, he should get whatever he wants." Z is H's little buddy. H is wonderful with him, he doesn't get frustrated, or annoyed like most kids would with a little brother, he loves him to pieces. C has been the same way with both Z and K when they both entered the family. I took a picture recently of C and K passed out in the bed...it was so cute. Being a big sister is something C enjoys, she is great at it. She was the youngest for awhile and now she is the big sister to both Z and K. C and Z have a little secret when they walk home from school. It's her way of bonding with Z and he loves it, but then again why wouldn't a little love it if you give them candy on the walk home? When M came to us, both C and H once again opened their arms and hearts to another sibling. They have never once thought of the three as anything other than their brother and sisters. They amaze me. To be so young and this compassionate towards three children that entered their home and share their parents is truly amazing.
I just wanted to give a shout out to the two bigs that started our family. I love all my children, these two prove that you can share and care in any situation!
Be Kind.
First, I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! It is almost FRIDAY.
I wanted to talk about my two of the bigs; C and H today. They came into my life shortly after getting married to my husband and have been a joy since I gave birth to them. Somehow, they have developed into loving and giving children, beyond my wildest dreams. When we first decided to foster, we talked to H and C about it. We talk about EVERYTHING in this family. When I say EVERYTHING, I mean EVERYTHING! So, Z comes into our lives and like I told you before, H would give him whatever he wanted, because he felt that he "already had a hard life, he should get whatever he wants." Z is H's little buddy. H is wonderful with him, he doesn't get frustrated, or annoyed like most kids would with a little brother, he loves him to pieces. C has been the same way with both Z and K when they both entered the family. I took a picture recently of C and K passed out in the bed...it was so cute. Being a big sister is something C enjoys, she is great at it. She was the youngest for awhile and now she is the big sister to both Z and K. C and Z have a little secret when they walk home from school. It's her way of bonding with Z and he loves it, but then again why wouldn't a little love it if you give them candy on the walk home? When M came to us, both C and H once again opened their arms and hearts to another sibling. They have never once thought of the three as anything other than their brother and sisters. They amaze me. To be so young and this compassionate towards three children that entered their home and share their parents is truly amazing.
I just wanted to give a shout out to the two bigs that started our family. I love all my children, these two prove that you can share and care in any situation!
Be Kind.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
We drive a conversion van for a reason!
On most days the task of getting the five children to various activities. My husband and I split duties accordingly. If the "bigs" have something to do one of us is with them, while the other has the "littles." Then there are days where one of us will have two "littles" and "big" with us. There are many different combinations with having five children. The children pick what activities they want to be involved with. Here is the breakdown:
M is a swimmer and French Horn player. She is like a fish in the water. We have been working on her self-esteem since she came to our family. She is wonderful and talented at everything she does, just needs that little boost, like many people. She has note next to her bed that reads,"Today you don't need to have any confidence, because I have enough confidence for the both of us.-Coach." She chose to keep this note to remind herself of how much confidence others have in her abilities. She mentors at Skill Support, which pairs a regular education student with a Special Education student to help build relationships among the students. She already has experience dealing with Z who is on the autism spectrum so this is right up her ally. M also plays the French Horn. So as you can see she is one busy young lady. Having so many things to do, I think helps with her confidence. She see that she is good at something and that others value her talents, allows her to see value in herself as well.
H is a lover of FOOTBALL. He started out in a little league and has progressed into a little football beast. He loves the game, playing and watching it. He gets that from his father. Right now that is the only sport he is involved and that is probably a good thing, because he loves it more than anything else. He is dedicated to the sport and we love his enthusiasm. Yes, I am that mom that is screaming on the sidelines for my child to tackle other people's children. I am that mom, that wears the embarrassing shirts to games. I am working my way up to being that mom that brings wine to the games, but since the games are on school grounds, I am trying to follow the rules and not get arrested for bringing wine to a football game. (YET!) When he gets that big football contract, momma is the first one he will take care of!
C plays soccer and loves every minute of it. She is fast, she gets that from me. I used to run track, so just go with it. My children are athletically inclined and that does come from both myself and her father and we like that. It gives us something to do with them other than homework. C also plays an instrument. She tried several out during an activity night at the school and settled on the Flute. This please my youngest sister to no end, she has played the flute for over 15 years. I just sent her a video at C's request of her playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Needless to say my sister was very pleased with her performance, since she posted it on Facebook.
When the "bigs" choose something to do for the school year, like football, playing an instrument, they have to commit to it. They are not allowed to quit, they must finish out the season or the year with that activity. H didn't like playing an instrument, but he had to finish out the year playing. They know this rule going into it and they follow through. It is important for us to instill in our children that once they make a commitment, they stick to it. If we allow them to just quit, we are doing a disservice to them and they are letting down the others involved in that activity as well. We want our children to thrive in the activities they do. We do not over schedule our children, we know what they can handle and so do they. School comes first and if an activity interferes with that, we sit down and discuss what needs to happen. They are great about following through and we couldn't be more proud of them.
The "littles" are not involved in anything at the moment, but it will only be a matter of years before we will need a massive calendar on the wall in the kitchen to direct us to the various activities they are all in. We will be tired parents but happy parents. With getting all five children to various places, yes, we drive a conversion van for a reason.
Have a wonderful start to your week! #CarrChronicles
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