You do you...but....

 Over the past 6 months, families have seen countless activities, hobbies, organizations, events, and meetings wiped off their calendars. We've seen pleas for "Let the kids play" and "Let them Show" and "Dance On" and more. 

In the midst of it all, I yearn for the competition of interests to cease. As a society we can blurt a quippy "You Do You, Boo" while turning around to tout "Insert Activity is the only way to raise our kids" or "X sport creates the best/toughest/hardest working athlete" or "you never did (hard task)and it shows".  It stinks that anyone's interest has been limited this year. One is not more crucial than another. Perhaps everyone's desire to retrieve their lost activity has manifested to "my thing is the best/only/elite argument" (However, I note this is not new or pandemic driven, but maybe my frustration reaching its max is.)

Families are different! Kids are different! And that should be celebrated and supported, not pitted against each other. We should not be judging each other because of the choices a family makes...or doesn't make. Your kid wants to play travel ball and you are willing to let them. That's awesome. One of your kids joined a concert band 75 miles away that practices three days a week. Good for him/her! Your kid loves to be on stage. SUPER! You just spent $10,000 on a show animal. I hope you have a great show season! The library sees your kid more than their grandparents. Whooohooo!

BUT NONE OF THESE ARE CHOICES that we have a right to say are better than others. It's not our family. AND, goodness knows we've got to stop feeling guilty about what we are or are not doing "enough" or "too much" of. 

I'm tired of coaches telling kids they have to focus on a single sport, parents trash talking other activities as less valuable than others, and communities disregarding diversity of experiences.

This is all exacerbated by social media and the little snapshots that are shared. Maybe we share some things to try to prove our choices are justified and valued. But, honestly, whose business is that anyways. 

Personally, my boys are probably allowed to do too many things in very different spaces. (And, its been fun to see them explore some new things and just spend time together in the space that COVID has created in their lives). But that's how we've decided to build our life and support them to be good humans. And that's what matters most to me. At some point, choices will be made and they will be theirs to make, with guidance, guidelines and likely budget considered. But when these choices are made all I ask is that others recognize it was what was right for our family. 

So all this rambling to say, I've accepted that the activity/sport/hobby/event they choose can't be based on my desire for approval or acceptance from others. 

"You do you"  and don't apologize or question it. 

NOTE: COVID has also left me a significant amount of time for self-reflection. Next post - why does social media make us feeling lonely and excluded?