Comments on: Thank you, Spiderman

By: Jes

Jes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:18:16 +0000

It’s amazing how personally attached WE get to our expectations/ideals for our children. The first year my kids went store bought I was overcome with guilt/shame. As if by them making those choices (that I disagree with) I had somehow failed at teaching them the important things. Sometimes we just have to let go … give them the examples and the choices that we believe in … and then respect the fact that they are not us. Parenting is tough that way.

By: Annie

Annie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:46:57 +0000

What a great thing to share — I imagine I too will be there one day — and it’s going to hurt but I’m hoping to be ok with it! That’s part of why it’s so crazy important to me right now to create these costumes & playthings & clothes for my children (who are 3) because I KNOW that at some point what they might really really really want is something not mama-made. I want to know that at least those years where they DID want mama-made (or didn’t care either way) I created for them….

By: Hillary

Hillary — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:20:49 +0000

I feel you mama! My 5 year old wants the most commercialized plastic costume he can find. Woe is me. lol!

By: J. R.

J. R. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:33:27 +0000

I can’t even tell you…my 4.5 year old keeps telling me he wants to be spiderman…I have already made half of their cardboard-train costumes (Gordon and his tender are cut out and painted; james is next)…I all but yelled at him in playschool today for telling me he wanted to be Spidey…I caught myself by saying/hissing, “the thing that really bugs me about this is that you’re not thinking for yourself…you’re just following what your friends are doing.” I was only slightly aware of how ridiculous I was being (and only now am I aware that I’m asking him to follow me…when really perhaps being Spidey is exactly thinking for himself).

Wow, wow, and wow.

By: erin goodman

erin goodman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:58:06 +0000

well hannah…since you asked…

i am actually hosting a retreat this sunday where we will be exploring many of these kinds of things (while sipping tea and eating chocolate . there’s info about it on my website and blog.

thanks so much for all the great feedback. i really enjoyed reading all your stories.

happy halloween…

~erin

By: Hannah's Harvest

Hannah's Harvest — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:02:34 +0000

Erin, you struck a nerve with us mamas, yes? How else might we apply your wisdom in our lives?

By: TheOrganicSister

TheOrganicSister — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:08:36 +0000

I love how you zeroed in on walking beside them in their homemade costumes makes you feel like a good mom. Ironic how the listening to your children and respecting their desires for a store-bought costumes really made you a *great* mom.

By: Tara

Tara — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:25:30 +0000

I just wrote on my blog about a very similar experience!

By: linda@alamodestuff

linda@alamodestuff — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:27:26 +0000

It is so hard as they get older! Just a few short years ago, I made an adorable M & M outfit for my son. This year he insists on being a store bought demon. *Sigh!

By: elizabeth ~ so wabi sabi

elizabeth ~ so wabi sabi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:28:55 +0000

but then you get a kid like mine who is adamant that he wants to be a green panda bear……