February 10, 2004 - 10:13 a.m.

Caved

Yeah, I went back yesterday and bought the shoes...

But aren't they cute?! I can't wear them here yet,of course, but I am looking forward to trying them out in California next week.

While I am getting excited about heading west, the kids are getting just as excited about their trip to Florida. The family is headed to Captiva, which is an island near Sanibel, I think. These kids always bring back buckets of shells from Cape Cod each summer (and the shells on the Cape are generally not all that exciting frankly), so I can only imagine what their carryons will be like when they come back from this trip. :)

For now, I am just concentrating on getting through the week. So far it has gone pretty well. I did take the kids to Walmart yesterday, though, to pick up some containers for sorting and storing toys in an effort to control the ever expanding chaos in the playroom. As we waited in a long line at the checkout, I realized how spoiled these kids are in a way that never occurred to me. They almost never have to go shopping or run errands with me or their parents, so they have no coping mechanisms for dealing with the little annoyances that occur. B asked for every toy and food item in sight. All three active children had trouble simply standing in line; they had to lean on the cart, or crouch in the middle of the aisle waiting to be tripped over. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that they weren't fighting or having tantrums, but it dawned on me how differently they handled the situation than I would have as a kid. I guess they just aren't used to having to be bored or wait when there isn't a lure for them involved. They can wait pretty patiently when the end product is ice cream, a movie, or something like that. Just further evidence that these days too many kids are coddled to the point that they retain that childhood egocentrism much more strongly, and for longer, than past generations did. Luckily, their parents agree that it's good for them to have to endure things like errands once in a while. My charges are not nearly as spoiled as they could be or as some of their friends are!

today's project: making B finish making Valentine's for his classmates

musing about: how not to spoil your kids

�

flutter back - fly ahead