Today’s tip always sounds good, but when it gets down to it - it’s the hardest thing ever:

Sunday’s Super Mommy Tip:  Let them go!

I’m not talking about off to college.  I’m talking about letting them gain some independence when they’re young with sleep-aways!  Both my boys left me for a week this summer.  My oldest went to sleep-away camp on Catalina Island with his friends and my youngest spent 8 days in AZ with his Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents.  While this all sounded like a great idea when the plans were in the works, I’ve learned it’s much easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk! 

 Here’s the thing - they both had growing experiences that wouldn’t have been possible if I were there.  In my testosterone filled world, I cater to my little kings.  I know I can go overboard with this.  I’m sure if I had a daughter or two, my boys would be more self-sufficient - but I don’t have a daughter or two.  I often wonder if I’m ruining it for their future wives.  While they’re not momma’s boys at all, they don’t step foot in a mall or the grocery store.  They don’t know what it’s like to have girly-girl sisters, pink clothes draped everywhere, their toes painted or how to play house.  Miley Cyrus, High School Musical or the Jonas Brothers - who are they?  They’re not particularly crafty and cooking is something their mom does.  The point is - I didn’t know how they’d do on their own.  What if their clothes don’t match? They don’t brush their teeth? They don’t eat enough fruit? They want the special OJ that I buy? They hurt themselves?

I’m proud (and a little sad) to say that they squashed all my concerns.  They really didn’t need me.  Somehow, they managed perfectly all by themselves.  Could they do it for a much longer period?  Probably not.  But I swear to you, they came back home a little bit more mature.  I could see it in their eyes.  My 14-year-old came back and gave me a big hug and told me he missed me.  I could feel in his hug that he was happy to be home.  My little guy called me from Arizona and asked me to pick him up early (8 days was his max).  He was starting to get homesick.  So, of course, I happily rushed to his side (if you call rushing a 6-hour road-trip).

My point is that sometimes to be a Super Mommy, you have to let them go.  It’s hard, but what they’ve gained is priceless.  That’s not to say that I wasn’t just an eensy weensy bit happy that they both independently said they were done with everyone and everything else and just wanted to be home with me!

And by the way - their clothes didn’t match (I saw the pictures), my oldest didn’t brush his teeth enough on his camping trip, they didn’t eat as much fruit as I ensure, neither of them had their special morning OJ and they both came home with band-aids.  Much to my surprise, it didn’t matter one bit!

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at 8:15 am and is filed under Super Mommy Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.