I have an addendum to that last post, which was written over the course of two days and was interrupted several times by -- well, I can't tell you what the interruptions were about... yet... but there's some excitement afoot here at Chez SoCalMom, and I'm afraid it's interfering with my ability to focus.
If you look at that post carefully, you can probably tell when I started getting the phone calls that have made my brain go all fuzzy. And those who know how I work (cramming as much as I can while my kid is at school) will recognize what happens when I hit my deadline (time to pick her up). Tonight is her Open House, which means that today was a minimum day (pick up moved up from 3:00 p.m. to 12:30).
So I may have left you with the impression that the White Trash Mom Handbook is a serious tome, like when I mentioned Michelle's practical advice, without offering you a sample of what I meant.
So here's one I could relate to:
White Trash Mom Household vs. a "Normal" Household
When my daughters visit the neighbors, they do normal things:
- Make fudge
- Play board games or PlayStation 2
- Watch DVDs
- Do art projects
Conversely, when they come to our house, the activities are a little different:
- Make video where the dolls get beheaded and... taken away by aliens
- Dress the pug dogs up in bikinis and parade around the neighborhood
- See if they can get the dogs to "pee" in the toilet
- Make a fort out of an inflatable swimming pool and Slip 'n' Slide that are still outside from last summer even though it's February.
Do you see? While my kid and her friends do their share of playing video games and watching DVD's, most playdates at our house devolve into the same activities Michelle describes as "White Trash." The only thing my daughter doesn't do is dress the dog, but only because we don't have one. Instead, she and her friends will subject the cats to all kinds of cute torture (fortunately, one of them is part Maine coon and actually enjoys jumping into the bathtub while the water is running).
And there is no way in hell I'm going to get up from my computer and help the kids bake cookies or something. For one thing, the reason I agreed to the playdate is so that I can sit at the computer and work without constant interruptions. And for another thing, I'm not about to ruin my diet by allowing the smell of home baked cookies to permeate the house. And for another thing (Yes! Another one!) who do you think gets to clean up the mess from all that baking? No, I'd much rather let them behead the Barbie doll or torment the cat.
Michelle says that's fine - but warns to take care when your kids are visiting others (i.e., leave the beheaded doll at home).
She also points out that in parenting, possessing a good sense of humor is essential - which is kind of the point of her book. And I'm afraid THAT's the part I left out in my previous post... and hope to have made clear here.
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