What kind of errands....

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2005
What kind of errands....
2007
Wed, 08-31-2005 - 1:41pm

Do you run on a daily basis? Weekly basis? Monthly basis?

I've often heard people say that they need a lot of time during the week to run errands and that those errands would otherwise take up their evenings and weekends if they had to WOH ft. It made me curious because I just don't seem to have many errands to run at all. Are we just lazy :-)?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 09-06-2005 - 10:37pm

I dont know, I have a hard time buying that. My dh is extremely competitive and tends to run with the front of the pack when it comes to athletics. Yet he is always perfectly willing to go for a run with dd (or me for that matter!), he ran several races pushing a jogging stroller when ds was a baby, and would hike with ds in the backpack or frontpack. He and I are both planning to participate in junior nordics with ds this year, and while its pretty much right at my level, LOL, its certainly *not* at dh's level, but he fully intends to ski with ds.


I think people use having kids as an easy excuse to not do things they used to do. I always swore I wouldnt do that-and so far I havent. I might make lifestyle adjustments for the good of my family, but I have never felt that my children hindered those choices

Dj

"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 09-06-2005 - 11:28pm
I agree that unstructured downtime is important, for them and me. As I said, I'm not really much of a homebody, but I've never been much of a "joiner" either. I almost joined a playgroup after I quit my job, but it seemed like too much of a commitment! Fortunately, I have enough friends and neighbors who also sah or work pt that I usually manage to keep myself and the kids entertained. My girls are still young enough that their sports don't involve big time commitments (about an hour per week each for gymnastics and swimming), and I'd like for dd1 to start taking piano lessons in the not too distant future. Other than school (1/2 day kindergarten for dd1 and 2 mornings of child's day out for dd2), that's it for the organized activities for now. They just seem to get really stir crazy if we hang out around the house too much.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 09-06-2005 - 11:36pm
Not just the teen set, my mil teaches third grade (in a low income, rural area), and they had to ban electronic devices at her school because so many fifth graders were text messaging each other during class.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 09-06-2005 - 11:44pm
Just out of curiosity, why do you care if Felicia uses her children "as an excuse not to eat the cake she doesn't want to have" any more than you care if she is sporty or flexible?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 09-07-2005 - 12:46am

Oh man, just wait. As they get older, those 1 hr a week sports commitments jump by leaps and bounds! Ds is easy right now, we can do swimming lessons once a week. Dd, on the other hand, has practice every day after school from 230-430 and in the month of September alone, has 3 tournaments that last almost all day and 9 games! I miss the days of 2 hrs a week of soccer when she was 6, thats for sure!


Dj

"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
Wed, 09-07-2005 - 7:15am

ITA; that's why I said "some" in my post. Even sex after kids usually takes an adjustment, as in "they might hear us, so we have to be quieter" or whatever. But changing your attitude doesn't work all the time, for every activity.

But the point I'm trying to make (rather unsuccessfully, I'll admit lol)is that having a sporty family seems to be exalted in this thread in a way that might slight those families who tend to focus on other things. My main evidence for this is a few different posts (which I've tried to highlight in posts to various posters over the past few days)that seem, IMO, to reflect the attitude that when it comes to kids' sports and other organized activities, it's "extra especially important" to make the kinds of adjustments you refer to. And I don't think that's really fair.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
Wed, 09-07-2005 - 7:17am
I really think technology is highjacking our kids' childhoods; it's just like the Pied Piper!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2005
Wed, 09-07-2005 - 7:52am
Because whether people are accountable to themselves affects whether I can take them seriously on anything.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2005
Wed, 09-07-2005 - 8:03am
I don't recall using the word superior. However, it is a benefit to tire less easily. It contributes positively to ones ability to handle life. In much the same way as do physical strength, intelligence, emmotional fortitude and stability. Or overall good health.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2005
Wed, 09-07-2005 - 8:10am
Its not exhausting at all. Well, perhaps the first DAY. But most kids pick it up very quickly, months short of a full quarter. At home everyone is doing their own thing - that makes paying attention difficult. Because Mom or Dad's voice could be directed at anyone, regardless of tone or volume, and have various degrees of importance relative to what one is doing. At school - its pretty clear. If teacher is talking to the class, the info is directed, 95% of the time, at oneself and if one errs on the side of caution and diverts attention to the teachers classroom voice and away from whatever one is doing, one will be directing attention to the most important direction 95% of the time.

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