My Parenting Bucket List
I think it's really important to not only have goals and ambitions in life to check off your ultimate bucket list, but also having a "parenting bucket list" for all of the things you hope to achieve with these little humans we're raising. Here's my list, some things have been checked off the list, some have not, and some are a constant work in progress. 1. Create a garden. I think it's important to teach Boo the importance of caring for living things and the circle of life through planting seeds and watching them grow. The opportunity to harvest the veggies, and ultimately eat them (I hope...crossing fingers) is a special lesson in how wonderful life really can be.
2. Watch him perform on stage. My insecurities have held me back a lot in my life from feeling fully free to be who I am. I want to see him be uninhabited by fear and really let his freak flag fly! I only wish I was that brave as a child.
3. Go camping. Because much of our life is controlling messes and chaos, I want to go just be out there in the world with him and the dirt and natures and not feel the need to constantly control his urge to get dirty and just be human and explore nature.
4. Travel somewhere exotic. I want to see things I have never seen with him, experience culture I've never experienced by his side and eat foods I never imagined existed while giggling with anticipation and a hint of hesitation. We see so many of their firsts, I guess I just don't want that feeling to ever go away.
5. Stand up for what we believe in together. When he finds a cause, I will champion it. When he finds a passion, I will support it, when he feels like someone is wronged and stands up for his convictions, I will stand beside him. I want him to know his values are my values and I believe in his heart and spirit.
6. Find a common interest and practice that together weekly. Maybe we both like painting, or cooking new recipes, fishing, or playing the ukulele...whatever it is that we both really love, I want to share that with him so he has those memories forever. That once a week we did "our thing."
7. Make a complete ass of myself for his own enjoyment. I want him to know that even though as adult we can be crazy insecure and create walls around themselves I am able to get passed those things just for him. Because that's how much I love him...I would be willing to make a complete spectacle of myself just so he laughed.
8. Make our own family traditions. Just because our family is different and small won't mean that it's lacking in traditions or customs. I want him to know the uniqueness of our lives together and how special that will be for him as he grows older.
9. Listen to him. I mean really listen and teach him to really listen to me, and others. Seems simple, but it's not. We are so busy most of the time that I have to ask myself, "am I really listening and hearing what he's saying to me?" I want him to know that I am, and I want to know that he hears me too. Every once in a blue moon I do have something profound so say.
10. Stay up all night and watch the sunrise. Everyday brings something new and I want him to know that I will be here for all of it. The good, the bad and the ugly. The dark times and the light.