Get off of her! Why are you touching her? Get away from each other? Why are you touching the remote? Who said you can watch TV? Why are you on your iPads? Wait, you read all 8 books for the month in 1 hour? How is that even possible?!
School has been out for a couple weeks now and this is the minute-by-minute yelling that goes on daily. It does not stop. They are just always around us. Every second and always whining.
Some summer camps have reopened. Some Parents have decided to risk their lives and send their kids back into the unknown for one simple thing: silence. I get it. Silence is good. Hello darkness my old friend.
The Kids have been nothing but silent. As I type this the older Child is screaming because her sister is laying on her. My throat has been hurting me for 3 weeks now from yelling upstairs from my office. But I am not sure I am just ready to let our Children play with COVID at the moment as their punishment by sending them to summer camp. Unfortunately, I love them (and myself) a bit too much.
To save our sanity, the Bart's tried a new strategy: Letting them do whatever the hell they want. Its been pretty amazing. We basically only allow 1 hr of TV and 30 min of electronic devices aka iPad a day. Then they have the option to go outside or read a book or do something in the house. Instead of helicoptering them as they play outside, we are peacefully working as the kids fight outside for neighbors to hear shaking their heads in disagreement of our parent strategy.
Lately the kids have been playing down the street with some friends. We see them only when they need something from us eg a hug, food and a toilet. All day long I see them biking and skateboarding past my office window with full smiles. I swear I can faintly hear "I am freeeeeeeeeeeeee" as they leave my eyesight. Summer is gooooood.
That is until I noticed something: My Kids are annoying. We already knew this. We are their parents. But I noticed that they are "those girls" that stand outside their friends house waiting for them to come out. I walked outside to check on them and saw my Daughter standing in front of her friend's house. Just standing there with a dead stare in her eyes.
I called her over and said "What are you doing Love?"
Her response, "Blah Blah said she would be outside soon."
"How long ago was that, Ava?" I nervously ask.
"It was like 2hrs ago."
Stop the press Vicky Vale.
"OMG. Ava you a crazy person. Please dont stand there waiting for someone to come out to play!"
I then start panicking that her friend's parents, whom we know and our very friendly with, now think we are "those parents" that let their kids stand in front of someone else's house waiting for their kids to come out and play. We will never be allowed in their house for drinks once COVID leaves this Earth in 2026.
Just now the kids came upstairs to tell me its time for dinner. They both had tired smiles from playing outside all day.. or I should say waiting outside for others to play. They had squishy donuts in their hands. Ya know the ones that look like dog toys. I took one out of my kid's hand and threw it out the door. She immediately ran and chased it, making yapping barking sounds as she did this. Immediately the other Child wanted in on the fun. This went on for 3 minutes way too long. I think I will let them go outside tomorrow and stand outside their friends house waiting to play! Aint nobody got time for this.
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