Parenting

That Parent

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

My kids are in private school.  But what doesn’t much differ from public to private is fundraising.  My kids’ school is pretty good about fundraising–there are two “sell” something fundraisers and two “give” something fundraisers.  Not that there aren’t other ways to “donate.”

One of the other ways to donate is linked with one of the “give” something fundraisers.  The school’s biggest fundraiser besides the annual fund giving is the Auction.  It’s an amazing auction and generally pulls in 6 figures for support of the various funds at the school–scholarship, teacher development, unrestricted endowment, etc.

Each year at the auction–the parents of each class donates something to auction off.  Which means that families are asked to make a contribution and then one parent is in charge of buying the item and reminding parents to donate.  Somehow, I am that parent.  The one whose emails we dread because they are reminding us to donate.  This has become my life.  I don’t know why I agreed to do this.  Because I don’t particularly enjoy getting the reminder to donate emails. I often think, if I wanted to donate I would so stop asking.  It’s not as nice being on the other side.

And now I’m the one sending them.  I have sent three of them.  Three.  THREE.  I hate myself already.  People are quickly ignoring or deleting my emails–I’m sure.

I won’t send anymore–but right now I am the only one who has donated.  And my donation certainly won’t get us much.

 

Friendship

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

These two are buds

These two have been buds since Day 1 in pre-school.

Friends are so important.  I am so happy that my kids have already started to create special bonds with kids who will be in their life for a long time.  I am lucky to have a handful of amazing friends that have been my friends for over half of my life.  We don’t always stay in touch as often as we’d like, but we are still an important part of each others’ lives.

I try to create opportunities for my kids to spend time with their friends–sometimes I am better at it than others.  I recognize the importance of friends and appreciate the time spent with them.  I love that my kids are starting to get that too.

Creating Socialists

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

We were driving home the other day from school and Noah said something about candy and I told him he could have one piece if he wanted but that was all. I asked him and Zoë why I would only let them have a little bit of candy.

“Because it’s not healfy” said Zoë.

“That’s right Zoë.  Candy isn’t healthy and we shouldn’t eat it all the time.”

“But mom, why do they sell candy then if it isn’t healthy” Noah asked.

“That is a great question Noah.  Why do you think companies that make candy sell it?  What do they want?”

Noah was quiet as he thought about it for a few minutes…”MONEY” he nearly screamed.

“Yep.  The companies who make the candy sell it to make money.  Companies make and sell things to make money.”

“But they shouldn’t be able to sell bad things.” Noah insisted

“That’s not nice.” Zoë chimed in (she has to talk and must add her opinion after her Brother’s.  Every. Time.)

“But companies do.”

“Cigarettes are bad.  They make people sick.  Companies shouldn’t sell things that can make people die.  That is mean.” Oh to have five-year-olds run the country might be a good thing.  The simple innocence.

“Companies are in business and sell things that people buy.  So, if we want companies to stop selling bad things we should not buy them.” I am trying to make it simple.

“Companies should care about people and not about money.  People are important.”

My work here is done.

We talked a bit more about making choices and thinking about what we spend our money on and how it’s important to have beliefs and live up to them.  I love that he can make these connections and can see the wrong in creating and selling things that can harm people.

The future is bright.

Just When You Think People Are Normal

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 6 Comments

Okay–well normal might be a stretch.  But this whole idea of a “pox party” totally creeps me out and gets me a little mad too.  I know this post is going to be all judgy and well–that is fine.  I’m a parent of two children and I have this venue to allow for me to voice my opinion.  I was shocked this morning when I heard a news story about Pox lollipops via mail order on my local news.  I had to rewind the story twice just to be sure that I was hearing the right thing.  I couldn’t believe what I heard.  Parents are buying lollipops that have been licked by kids who have the chicken pox.  Gross.  Wrong.  Unbelievable.

Chicken pox is an airborne disease.  Airborne.  As in, not through licking an old lollipop.   Who is their right mind would think this was a good idea?  Who else would think that a virus can live on a lollipop as it is mailed to you?  WHO?

It just blows my mind that there are parents who do this.  If you are one of them–I’m sorry for judging you but doesn’t this sound the tiniest bit CRAZY?  I think so.  I understand that there is a portion of the population that is opposed to vaccinations for their children for whatever reason.  I am not one of those people.  I don’t mean to devalue someone else’s thoughts and beliefs.  We all can parent our children the way we want, but I do get upset when someone else’s choices endangers my children.  Anyway, my kids have had their chicken pox vaccine as well as every other vaccine they need.

I get that parents want their kids exposed to chicken pox so that they can get it over with and build their immunity to it.  But isn’t this a little extreme?  This certainly seems more dangerous to me than the vaccine.  And it’s creepy.  I just imagine ever thinking about doing something like this to my own children–making them sick on purpose.  I know that end goal is important but the route to get there is just not okay with me.   What is next–mumps parties and mumps lollipops?  Where does it end?

Separation

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

This weekend was a big shake up at our pad.  The kids decided on Sunday that they wanted their own rooms.  Well, not really kids–more like kid.  Zoë decided she was ready to move into her room.  Her room had been the playroom while her and Noah shared a bedroom.  So, we spent Sunday morning taking apart beds, separating toys and moving furniture around.  It was fun and I love Zoë’s room (I’ll post a pics later this week).  Zoë loves her room and it makes getting the kids to clean up and take ownership of their room a little easier.  This morning–neither complained about making their bed.

I was worried that they weren’t ready to have their own room–okay maybe I wasn’t ready for this next stage of growing up.  I know it sounds funny that they are growing up–they are only 5 and almost 4.  But they are growing and changing and developing their independence.  I know this means that someday they’ll need/want/crave/have their independence from me as well.  And while I accept that as a natural progress, it scare me because I love them so much and the unknown is hard.

Noah loves having his own room–he has slept in his bed all night the past two nights and goes to sleep on his own without us sitting with him.  He’s getting so big.

Zoë has done pretty good going to sleep–we still sit with her as she SLOWLY drifts off to sleep and she has stayed in her bed until about 3am.  I know she’ll adjust and be back to staying in her bed all night.

They are truly happy to have their own room and their own space.   A place that is theirs.  A place that they can be themselves and explore their things.  It’s pretty nice to see that develop.  I know it means they are growing up.  But it also shows me that we are doing our job of raising them to be independent.  Ah–what a double-edged sword that is.