Earlier in the day. in the middle of a Mario Kart tournament that was just created I announced - at 4:00pm we are going to the park. No one squawked back at me. I thought they didn't hear me and just kept walking. I had already announced the sunshine was out and we needed to take advantage of it. Maybe they knew there was no negotiating time in the sunshine.
I went for a short run and returned at 3:59pm to find my people gathering to get shoes and coats on. Something felt odd about this and I wasn't going to question it. My husband was able to stop working from his makeshift basement office. The girls were done playing this round of Mario Kart and we decided to leave the dog home. Less things to worry about.
We drove down the road a bit to a park we can easily visit and were there for an hour. It's not a big park. There's a loop in the woods with a break off path down to the pond. Here I decided to see if we could jazz up this walk and explore across a dried up creek that leads into the pond and walk some fallen trees. The youngest a junior in high school was all in. We were very daring with the height being at the most three feet off the ground. On the return she thought she could jump the creek and I warned her if her feet got wet we'd still keep walking. She fell in with one foot, it was wet, the mud pulled at her short boots AND we kept walking.
After the loop in the woods she and I took the loop through a prairie field while the other two waited on a bench. I was so surprised she came with me and she said she was worried I could be kidnapped. Who has energy for kidnapping right now, I asked. We chatted and noticed things and chatted some more.
I think this all worked today because there was sunshine. We know we have to take advantage of our "Ohio stay home" guidelines which let us get outside while social distancing. I also thought it worked because I gave them a warning and made a statement. It wasn't a question. This was a huge win for parenting teenagers and young adults. Sometimes those toddler moves of mine still work.
Thank you Two Writing Teachers for fostering this writing community and offering this challenge.
I love this! Your walk in the park sounds awesome. Even better with no squabbling from the teens. Nice job, mom!
ReplyDeleteThis is a red letter day! It's not often you get this kind of win. But I think you are right about giving them a warning so they had time to prepare themselves! Such a simple thing...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if there is too much of a difference between toddlers and teens?
ReplyDeleteI loved how you used those toddler tactics on teenagers and young adults. Come to think of it, maybe I should share this with my husband. Sometimes I'd like a warning and a statement too! It is lovely to get outside. The sunshine is the best. Tomorrow is cloudy, but no rain. So I'm hoping to walk again.
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