A Woman's Work – Brooke Basically Blogging

A parent will protect their children and make them a priority.  A parent will turn into a fierce warrior if their children are in danger. As a single parent I have double duty. I admit I have been a helicopter mom, and maybe I still am at times.  

There are things that I would like to protect my children from but that is not a reality.  All I can do is prepare them on how to respond in various situations.  I am the parent at the park that doesn’t sit on the bench and check my email. I am hovering just in case I need to jump into autism mommy ninja mode. 

My friends talk about me because I don’t let my kids go to sleepovers.  I don’t remember going to a sleepover until I was maybe in the 8th or 9th grade. Seriously, do you really want a sleepover with Sydney?  Get ready for a 3:00 am breakfast wake up call.   I don’t recall many play dates either.  My mom would visit with friends and sissy and I would tag along. But I don’t remember being dropped off much with friends at their homes. And I turned out just fine.

Am I hurting my kids by not having them attend sleepovers?  Well, it took seven years for Sydney to be asked to play with someone other than family.  If you do invite my kids over please don’t be offended if I ask several questions.   If my child is staying at your home for a party, I have to ask a serious question.  Do you have firearms in your home and if so are they locked?  I support the right for you to have firearms in your home. Accidents happen all of the time.

 

My son won’t be the one walking down the streets or outside playing all over the neighborhood.  Sorry if I am depriving him of a social life, but guilt by association is real. But that is another blog for later. I make parents welcome to stay at my home if their child is visiting.  I don’t have a problem if they ask me questions, I respect that. 

I’ll never forget one time I took Harrison to a friend’s house to play and the mom said, “Oh I didn’t know you were…..”.  Needless to say we stayed for about thirty minutes so the boys could play outside and then we left.  Awkward!!!!!!!

I am a helicopter parent, a hummingbird parent and most of all a praying parent.  I pray for God’s protection over my children when they get on the bus and until I see them after school.

Will they face adversity? Will they be discriminated against? Will they suffer disappointments and hardships? Will they learn life lessons the hard way?  The answer is yes.  All I can do is love them and raise them to live by the golden rule.  Treat others as you want to be treated. 

What’s your parenting style?  Are you a helicopter parent? Or a free range parent?  Just be an involved parent and not an absent parent.