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Journalism of Courage
How we can keep kids engaged during their vacations is an issue that rattles many parents. With kids frequently complaining of boredom sitting at home, parents have to look for summer camps, classes, plan movie night outs or trips to keep their kids occupied. Else, they know their kids will be left to spend time on their mobile phones or computer screens.
Drawing attention to this problem, Crystal Lowery, comedian and mother of two, shared her thoughts on social media on why summers have become hard for parents.
Talking about how she would spend her summers as a child, Lowery wrote, “Why is summer so hard for parents? Because things have changed. When we were kids, we’d just run around town from dawn until dusk, unattended. Instead of mom slathering us with suncreen, we burned, then peeled our damaged skin like molting snakes. Instead of sensible snacks, we’d ride our bikes to 711 to purchase fists-full of Jolly Ranchers and Atomic Fire Balls.”
Unlike parents of today, who tend to constantly monitor their child’s activities, Lowery recalled, “The adults in our families were never exactly sure of our whereabouts–nor did they particularly care. It was all up to us. We made friends. We made good decisions. We made bad decisions. We made our own fun.”
Comparing it to how children spend their time today, she added, “Kids don’t randomly play with other kids in 2019. It’s too risky. If your children want social time, it must be by way of organised sports, or expensive day camp, or a play date wherein all mommies attend and make awkward small talk so that they can keep an eye on things.”
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But with new dangers cropping up each day, from cyber crimes to abuse, it is wrong for parents to be paranoid? Absolutely not, agrees Lowery. “We have to keep our kids safe. But with that hypervigilance comes isolation. With that hypervigilance comes the burdensome responsibility to keep your children company 24/7. And it’s EXHAUSTING,” she said.
That parenting is an endless job is something all moms and dads will relate to. So, what should parents do to cope? Take it easy and find out some me-time. “Parents of 2019, do you know why the summer is so hard? Because your kids are up your a** ALL THE TIME. It didn’t used to be like this. So cut yourselves some slack. And maybe, consider day camp. That is all,” she advised.
