Living in California many of us Mom's have pools. Swimming playdates and parties are frequent. On one such occasion a friend of mine came to a pool party and immediately stripped down and jumped in the pool. The other Moms stared. She looked around.
"Is nobody going in the pool? Do we not do that?"
Sadly, we don't.
Whether it's we haven't shaved, have not worked out enough, don't want to get our hair wet or are just too tired, we Mom's don't get in the pool. It's sad.
I watch the kids playing in the pool with reckless abandon. Jumping off the side of the pool making crazy faces and poses. I see them squirt each other with water guns and use our floating toys as surf boards. Their joy is palpable.
Don't get me wrong, we Moms are having our laughs, sharing, chatting but...
We're not jumping in the pool.
It seems the weight of all our responsibilities is too heavy. We might sink to the bottom of the pool. We're trying to keep our lives afloat through first days of school, homework, job stress, making dinner, making time for our husbands, working out, or not working out, laundry, caring for pets, caring for parents, social obligations, and steeling ourselves from run ins with mean Moms who might say "Oh my GOD did you see her in a bathing suit? I would never show my body if it looked like THAT."
My friends innocent jumping in the pool and looking at us saying "Do we not do that?"
Made me realize. No we don't.
I want you to make a pact with me. The next time you are at a pool party, a swim playdate, a vacation, an indoor pool, or even the YMCA....jump in the pool. Get your hair wet. Let your kids see you have fun and not worry about all there is to do. Let yourself not worry about how you look or what everyone else thinks.
Hold my hand. Let's jump together.
Let's jump in the pool.
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7 comments:
I appreciate the sentiment!
I think about that - the kids frolicking and looking at parents circled around a table boozing it up. It is important to model the behavior we want our kids to demonstrate.
That being said. I recently was without my smartphone for 5 days and it was lovely. No looking down, distracted by a text while at the park. I hate seeing 10 year olds leaving active play for tablet!
Love this post. Sadly I only went into the pool once this summer with my kids dispite their continual requests. Thanks for the reminder about what really matters.
XO
Amelia
I love it! As sad as it is, I don't always go under water because I don't want the chlorine to mess up my very expensive salon hair color. Ridiculous, right?!? I do try to go in the water and have fun with my kids whenever I can because one day I realized that I don't have to be the boring grown up all the time while the kids have all the fun. I can have fun going on roller coasters, rock wall climbing with my son AND doing a cannon ball into the pool. I will gladly jump into the pool with you!
Next time we're at the pool, you and I are going in onefabulousmom!!! Be ready, I agree with what you write. I had so much fun yesterday building sand castles on the beach! I will treasure that memory. I always want to be more involved.
Hi.. I've been following along with your blog shaking my head at the screen yay or nay in accordance to what I'm reading whether I agree or somewhat disagree. I like your blog and though I have never commented I finally think its time. I prayed for your little one as you posted pics of his hand and held your hand through the procedures (as all Mom's have to support each other) and ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the Frozen party. I sank down into my chair deep in thought while contemplating "the Pit" as I have worked with so many cancer patients. In short, I'm a SoCal Mom grateful to your for giving a voice to the inner workings of a Mom. In this post in just a few words you so eloquently open a world of so much more. Although we do not have a pool (such a crime in SoCal this summer at 100 degrees!) I finally gave in to my kids, bought Passes to Hurricane Harbor water park, put on my bathing suit (stare ahead, not down, and you'll make it through the day!), inhaled deeply and pushed myself off a water slide right after my kids. Guess what? I had fun! I had forgotten how this was done so wrapped up on what people would say (and by the way I'm not skinny neither am I supersized!) My kids laughed and had such a good time with Mom not giving a hoot about body image for one day. So guess what? I did it again and again and again. This summer was the best because I just jumped into the pool!!!
Thanks for your story and I hope more Moms get the courage to just jump in the pool and have some fun with your kids.
Now put that iPhone down and just do it!
D.
Love this post!
onefabulousmom - so well said. Yes, i think we need to jump into the pool and when we see one mom that does - we don't comment (negatively) on anything about her - we just complement her. We say - good job - you have yourself a good time in that pool and your kiddos will love that you are in the pool with them. Mine always do. Mine get upset when i am not and I should cherish that they want me in there with them. I think the body image thing drives us to do (or not do) things, and that just is sad. They are only little for so long. So - lets jump in the pool!
Tiff
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