Good Ideas Gone Bad

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to raising children, other people are always full of good ideas?

Grandma gently suggests that your toddler is too old to have a pacifier, and honestly, you agree. You gather all the pacifiers in the house and toss them, fighting the urge to dive into the garbage can to get them back. WHAT HAVE I DONE?!  You wring your hands with worry.

“Now we can see her sweet faces in pictures,” exclaims Grandma. “Those silly pacifiers were always in the way.” You nod in agreement. Yes, this was the right thing to do.

Several screechy days later, Grandma calls. She overhears her shrieking grandchild and asks in horror, “What IS that?!”

That’s your grand daughter. Unplugged. She’s pretty loud, huh? Yeah, I didn’t know she could make that noise, either.

You can replace the pacifier in this story with a hundred different things, like bringing three kids to the splash pad alone or going to “Cow Appreciation Day” at Chick-Fil-A at 5:00 p.m. All of these things sound like a good idea … unless you’re the person doing it. Have you ever tried to visit Baskin Robbins on a Saturday by yourself, outnumbered by children? Have you ever taken tiny kids to the beach? I think I left about half of my marbles in Gulf Shores last summer — I still haven’t recovered from that trip.

I try to be a good mom. I want to be fun. I want my children to experience all of the wonderful parts of childhood, so I am always open to good ideas. It’s just that, when it boils down to it, most good ideas involve the loss of yet another vital chunk of my sanity.

I really need my sanity.

People tell me that as my kids get older, things will get easier, and I believe them. In the meantime, if you have a good idea … let’s table it for a few more years.