By Jessica Whitehouse
“Kids, it’s time to get up!” I announce like a broken record stuck on repeat from the last 40 days of summer. “It’s the last day of camp!”
Bodies rolled a bit and soft moans and groans acknowledging they may have heard my voice in some far-off galaxy. Yet the eyelids declaring a silent protest as they remained tightly shut. Hmm, my words were clearly falling on deaf ears to the two sleepy sloths stuck on their late-night summer schedules including staying up past normal bedtimes and falling asleep in the same bed. And then it hit me. I was going to have to up my mom game. Fourteen years of training had led me to this point. We were now going…to the Mom Olympics.
“Get out of bed…or I’ll do a belly flop on you.”
Four eyeballs suddenly popped open. Slow smiles crept onto their faces knowing darn well their mom was ringleader of the Shenanigan Show and they were about to be active participants to my latest stunt.
I backed up slowly. I was going to need some room, after all.
Eyes grew wider. Arms flailed as they wildly grabbed blankets to throw over themselves for protection, as if that would change their fate. I spread my arms out as if I was a baby eagle about to take my first flight and charged toward them with impressive top mom speed and leapt over top of two bodies. My fingers and toes were pointed. Chin held high. Shrieks and giggles erupted below as I crashed into the middle of the bed with soft blankies among the tangled arms and legs.
I stuck the landing. Nailed it, really. And no one got hurt, self-included. Bonus points.
Judges* score: A perfect 10. <*Only one judge: me.>
I got up and bowed to my invisible audience as two kids rolled out of bed laughing and shaking their heads.
Mission accomplished. Change the routine. Get different results.
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The Olympic Games have been so fun to watch. They are a reminder of the positivity a ripple effect of talented athletes coming together for the purpose of achieving dreams and performing their best in honor of their country. Typically, the winning athletes are interviewed after their performance and the camera will pan to proud parents, family and friends who are cheering with such intensity from home. As a kid, I always felt that support from my parents at home as well – and I never even earned an Olympic medal!
I’m a person who thrives on parts of my life being routine. But Covid rocked and disrupted all our routines in a big Ole Miley Cyrus wrecking ball kind of way. And here we are again. At this point in time where Covid cases are increasing like crazy, and we feel like the world has a big, bad case of 2020 déjà vu.
The end of summer and the start of a new school year for our kids is here, ready or not. As we find ourselves in an all too familiar spot, I reflect on where we started at this time last year and how we continue to worry about the unknown. In our household, things seemed to be rolling along well until nearly the end of the school year, when with one month before the vaccine was made available to children 12 years old and up, our nightmare came true when our teenage daughter contracted Covid and fell ill. Talk about nerve wracking…Quarantining. Fevers. Tests. Guilt. So much stress. Could we have done anything more to prevent it? Probably not. Viruses are sneaky and will find the weakest link in the body and attack. It was a very rough few weeks but I’m happy to report she skated through yet another health crisis without any additional long-term complications. Whew.
Covid has proved how the negative ripple effect works throughout the entire world. But what we are really saying is: your actions affect other people. Again. And again. And again. Now think of your attitude around your children. Whether your thoughts and opinions are right or wrong, you need to remember your words and actions affect their actions. Kids are like little sponges soaking up the words their parents say and do. How they treat others. So be careful what you say around your kids. Teach them to be respectful of others’ opinions. If you don’t agree, perhaps you should read up about taking the high road in the conversation and duck out.
Nobody gets to the Olympics alone. Point is, let’s be cheerleaders for our kids, and instead of making teachers, educators or any other lives harder than they already have been these past 18 months, let’s get back to cheering them on. Whatever the decisions are. Whether you agree or not. Be the bigger person. We build our supportive teams around us and in doing so, we can win a Gold medal.
So after my stellar in-home Olympic performance, I reminded my kids, “Having a weird mom builds character, you know.”
“Oh, we know, mom. We will have lots of character. Now please stop watching the Olympics before you go to bed.”
Next up in the Mom’s Olympics: Speed Vacuuming, Marathon Laundry, and Marco Polo.
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About Life with Jess & Friends
Jessica Whitehouse, aka Jess, is a lifestyle writer and creator of Life with Jess & Friends. Her mission is to bring lighthearted humor to life situations including family, parenting, relationships, career, and all things in between. For more information, email info@lifewithjessandfriends.com or find and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
