Why must any activity that a parent and child can do together be scheduled right smack in the middle of the day??? I will not be made to feel guilty for be a working mother. But just because I work does not mean that my child and I should be excluded from fun activities such as learning to swim, gymnastics or other parent/child classes! This freaking sucks. I know that I am not the only working mother out there. What do the rest of you do? It's not that I think the world should accommodate me and my family, but c'mon . . . we are not the only dual-income family out there and you would think that SOMEONE would see a market there and make a schedule, even if just one day a week, for these types of classes and activities at night, or at least the late afternoon! I would love to join an exercise class with other moms and get a work out in for both me and my kid. But 'meet on the track at 10:30 am' just doesn't work for me. I want Sasha to learn to swim, it is something that I never did as a kid and I really wish I would have. But Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs at 10, 10:30 or 11 just does not work! Would it kill you to hold a class at 7? Or even 6 pm? Crap, I'd even take a Saturday morning, but NO. I can find nothing. I know that in the happy land of Utah the daddy works and the mommy stays home and if you don't live your life that way then you're a sinner. Apparently that's my punishment for sinning and choosing to have a job- if that's so then you can excommunicate me and kick me out of this place cause I don't want to live in a place that is so close minded, rigid and just plain stupid. Or let me put it another way that might be more acceptable to those who make these schedules, these schedules are completely sexist. What if Dad wants to go with the kids to swim lessons? What if Dad wants to go to the tumbling classes, too? Aren't we trying to get our men more involved with the family and its activities? Haven't you heard the commercials (sponsored by a certain religion) where the dad has no clue who's birthday it is when he comes home from work with a gift for his son instead of his daughter? Or when the parents are out to dinner with friends, the friends ask about their kids and the dad has no idea what is going on in the lives of his children? How the hell is he supposed to know when he isn't allowed to be involved in a single thing! Sure, the ball games are at night, but when are the practices? Is that it, is that all my kid can do is play sports because those are the only activities that are available that works with a working family's schedule? So I guess my kid just does nothing until she's old enough to play a sport. Yipee. This is lame. This is absolutely lame that no one out there has recognized that we don't all have the model "Utah" family and decided to capitalize on this fact.
If any of you have any suggestions or know of any places that I just have not opened my eyes to, please let me know!
I will not feel guilty and I will not have any regrets for my kids and things I 'wish' I could have done for them or with them.
4 comments:
Whoooooaaa! It is "Ticked off Tuesday" for you! That was a crazy rant that is really true! I don't have any suggestions other than to get a group together yourself. Surely there are other moms (or Dads) out there that feel your pain!
LOL, just had to laugh a little! I know Flips Gymnastics has a little parent/child class, but I don't know if they are "off" for the summer. I do know they have one at night though.
That is a tough one. Lil' Flippers Gymnastics in Kaysville has an evening mom/me class (but the child has to be walking). Also, I think that when school starts there are evening swim lessons. Check out MusicGarten classes. I am pretty sure they have evening classes although not 100%. It is also pretty fun to start something up yourself. We started a summer art class for my older kids because they weren't old enough to do the community art classes and we really wanted them to take one. It has been a lot of fun and the kids love having it at our house.
Move to Buffalo. They have night swimming lessons here (I'm not sure on the age groups for the lessons), but they do offer a Parent/Tot class on Saturday. I'll start looking for a house for you! Also here if you get enough participants together the YMCA will go to your pool and teach (but you have to have a pool) - maybe you know someone with a pool and can get a group and a teacher.
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