12 November 2015

Trying to Be a Fun Mum

 

 

When my first two children were very small I had a best friend called Mellie. We got on extremely well despite being very different.

I was an always-in-control type person. As well as liking an organised and spotless house, I liked my children clean and tidy and always presentable. Hair ribbons were good too. I encouraged my children to sleep and eat at regular times and I loved empty plates.

In contrast, Mellie was a very relaxed and comfortable-with-herself type person. Her children ate what they liked when they liked. They wore whatever they liked too. Mellie never shouted, “Where’s your jumper? It’s too cold to run around in just a T-shirt.” She trusted her children were the best judges of their own needs. Mellie’s house was never organised. It was a children’s adventure playground from one end to the other. Her children didn’t need to worry about damaging the carpets or making a mess. They could spread their games from one room to another. They had fun.

Fun? Yes, sometimes I wondered what Mellie thought of me. Did she think I was too restrictive, too bound up in unnecessary rules and regulations? Did she think I wasn’t a very fun mother at all? Now Mellie didn’t say anything. I just looked at her ways and compared them to mine, and I wondered.

Several times a week, Mellie would drop her small son Jack off at our house. I would look after him while she worked. One day, Jack arrived with a bag of toys. Soon he was sharing the contents with my daughter Felicity. Both children were 3 or 4 at the time. Out came a toy car, a big stone, a pencil, a bear and … a lipstick.

My first thought was, “Oh no! Lipstick! That’ll make a lot of mess.” I was just about to demand Jack hand that pink stick over when I stopped. I thought, “If Mellie thinks it’s okay for children to play with lipstick then perhaps I should let them keep it. I shall be a fun mum for once. We can clean off the mess later.”

So I sat back and watched. Jack drew all over Felicity’s face and she drew over his. “It’ll wash off,” I reminded myself as I itched to grab the stick. They giggled as they drew patterns on their arms and legs. I suggested some paper and they filled a pile of sheets with swirls and crosses. Both children’s eyes were bright with enjoyment. They had huge grins on their faces. They were having a fantastic time. I was absolutely certain I was a really fun mum.

When Mellie arrived to pick up Jack she looked at her lipstick-decorated son, but she didn’t say a word. I ignored the mess too. “See you on Thursday!” she called out as she left. The lipstick was never ever mentioned.

READ  Is Unschooling for Everyone?

We moved house and Mellie and I drifted apart. Every now and then we’d exchange a letter, but it was years before we had the opportunity to meet up in person. Then a couple of years ago, Mellie and her husband Mark came to visit.

Soon Mellie and I were sharing memories. “Do you remember this…” and “Do you remember that…”

“Do you remember how I liked to be in control of everything?” I asked Mellie, laughing but also wincing a bit at the memory. “I always wondered what you thought of me. We were so different. I always admired your relaxed mothering style and wished I could be like you.”

Mellie laughed. “Oh I think I was too relaxed at times,” she admitted.

“But you were fun. Do you remember when you let Jack bring that lipstick to our house? I wanted to take it off him, but I decided I was going to be a fun mum like you.”

Mellie opened her eyes wide, was silent for a moment, and then a huge laugh spilled from deep within her. “I didn’t let Jack bring along that lipstick. I didn’t even know he had it.”

“You didn’t?”

“When I saw Jack covered with lipstick, I was horrified. I wondered why you hadn’t confiscated it. I thought you were a really irresponsible mother… but I didn’t want to tell you.”

So I hadn’t been a fun mother after all. I’d been irresponsible. Twenty years later, it didn’t matter. I laughed too.

A fun mum? What makes someone fun? Is it letting everyone do as they like, or is it just letting go of the things that aren’t really important?

I ask my children – my children who no longer have to empty their plates or wear matching clothes (though I still like ribbons!) – “Do you think I’m a fun mum?”

“Oh yes!’ they all say.

I think back to the day of the lipstick disaster all those years ago. I remember Felicity’s and Jack’s bright eyes and the sound of their giggles. Irresponsible? No. Despite Mellie’s opinion, I am still absolutely certain, on that particular day, I was a really fun mum. I think Felicity and Jack would agree.

 
 
PS: I have come a long way since those early parenting days. Who would have thought I’d end up as an unschooler?!

 
 

Sue Elvis

I'm an Australian blogger, podcaster, and Youtuber. I write and speak about unschooling, parenting and family life. I'm also the author of the unschooling books 'Curious Unschoolers', 'Radical Unschool Love' and ‘The Unschool Challenge’. You'll find them on Amazon!

6 Comments

  1. I love this post Sue. Made me smile. I'm a "tidy" freak. I get overwhelmed if our home gets too messy and I sometimes worry I am being too fussy and should allow more mess. But, at the same time I took our kids to Comic Con last month, Chat about Lego with our son and sing silly songs spontaneously so I think our children would say…I am a fun mum! Trying my best anyway. I absolutely LOVE the lipstick story!

    • Luminara,

      You sound like a fun mum to me! As long as our kids are happy, that's the main thing. I must admit, I like a tidy house too. We all get frustrated when the house is a big mess and we can't find things we need.

      I'm glad you enjoyed my lipstick story. Thank you so much for stopping by!

    • Wendy,

      I'd never have predicted I could let go of my very controlled life and unschool. It makes me wonder what other amazing things are ahead of me. Where will this fun mum end up?!

  2. Ha! I love this story, as well as your podcasts. I particularly like that you admit that unschooling isn't easy and stress-free. Sometimes, I read stories from other home-schoolers and they sound so perfect. I know that's not realistic, but it gives me high expectations for beginning home-schooling my 9 year old son. I like to be in control of what he is learning, but can't very much as he is currently in public school. I am surely going to have to learn to loosen-up a bit when we begin home-schooling. I am learning so much from your podcasts. Please keep them coming!

    • Alison,

      You're about to set out on a big adventure! Maybe you're feeling excited and also a bit apprehensive as you start homeschooling? Yes, we can set our expectations too high. I imagine it will take your son a little while to adjust to homeschooling. But if you relax and just enjoy each other's company for a time, it should be fun. And even if things don't go perfectly at the beginning, it doesn't really matter. We learn as we go and our children cope.

      Yes, unschooling isn't always easy as you said. Sometimes we are called to trust more than we'd like, but I wouldn't do anything else. It's a wonderful way of life. There's a lot of work involved as I strew, keep records, try to be a good example.. but I don't spend time and energy battling with my children to make them work and help out. All the work involved is positive and I love doing it.

      Alison, I'm glad you're finding my podcasts helpful. Keep them coming? I haven't actually recorded one for next Monday. Maybe after your encouragement I'll put one together after all. Thank you so much for leaving this kind comment. When will you start homeschooling? I'd love to hear how you get on. Please feel welcome to stop by again any time.

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