It’s SUMMER TIME!

Oh how I love summer~the sun, the heat, swimming~everything a desert girl lives for! Except….

Everywhere we go is plastered by children on summer break. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against school kids enjoying the places we get to all year long. I do, however, have a problem with parents that let their kids ruin these places for those of us who have come to call them home. If you are a homeschooling or unschooling parent you know exactly what I mean. Summer is the time of year we stay away from the zoo, the library, movie theaters and such as our quiet havens of fun and learning have been invaded for the most part by children gone wild. A trip to the pool is like watching young children being trained for college spring break. Moms who are just happy to have something for the kids to do during the summer chatting with their friends and thinking it is so cute to give little Johnny a super soaker to run around and spray anything in sight “Hey, it is SUMMER!”, right? Actually NO, it isn’t alright and it isn’t my families fault that your kids only get out 3 months of the year. It is a choice you make. It is a choice I make that my kids swim 3-4 times a week all year and therefore don’t see it as a chance to go wild. Again, I have no issue with the kids being respectful of others enjoying these places. It is fun to see them get a break. My issue is with the mom who clearly views summer as a chore and looks to offload her kids at any spot that distracts the kids from driving her crazy and lets them do whatever they want because “Hey, it is SUMMER!”

So, my message to those mothers is this: Please realize that 80% of the population couldn’t care less that little Johnny is off for summer break. It doesn’t give him license to squirt me with his super soaker! Realize that you are invading OUR world~shocking I know but there are hundreds of thousands of people that go the movies during the week, grocery shop, swim, go to the zoo, library, museum, ALL YEAR long. These people have the right to continue to use these facilities without risk of injury even though your kids are on SUMMER break. Realize that these facilities are not a novelty to some kids. My kids go to the zoo a lot so I will quietly explain to them when your kid pushes me out of the way to see that “cool polar bear” that I can be patient and let them get a chance to get to know our animal friends. I, however, won’t be nice when your kid pushes mine.

Take the summer to teach your kids that the world does not revolve around them. Give them a fair shot at not ending up on the cover of College Kids Gone Wild a few years from now. Teach them that while summer may be a fun break for them, they still need to be respectful (just like I am sure they are in school).

…and to those of you completely offended by my post, you shouldn’t be unless you are the mom sipping flavored water gabbing to your friends while your kid pushes mine or shoots us with that super soaker. In that case, I hope you are offended ’cause someone needs to tell you how obnoxious you and your kids are!