Letters to the Editor
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dad?
visit every few weeks?
worldly? get a job.
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the great white whine
It seems like everyone who writes a piece for Salon seems to have majored in naval gazing at college. I have no sympathy for these writers (who are usually published novelists and have supposedly supportive spouses and enough money to do whatever they want - boo hoo) who whine endlessly about their problems. Yes, you have problems. So do we all. Try telling them to an inner city single mom and see how much sympathy you get. Try telling that to someone whose problems revolve around getting enough to eat and semi-adequate health care. Your problem is that your kids eat too much Capt. Crunch and play in a fenced in yard? You make me sick. At least your kids have a home with a place to play and enough to eat.
I'm sorry, but Salon seems to feature some of the most shallow pieces on what middle class to upper middle class consider serious problems. Puh-leeze. Realize how lucky you are and limit your whining to your group of equally privileged friends.
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Missing Mom
I think the great part of this idea is figuring out how to get the help and connection you want between you, your mother and your children.
You miss your kids, your kids miss you. You miss your mom, your mom misses you. So try it out. What's the worst that can happen? You decide after a week in an apartment in Rome that you'd rather be home for a while? People may tell you, "But they won't be properly socialized!" or "But how will they learn to play with other children?" It all works out later.
When we decided to homeschool our children, I didn't take anywhere near as much advantage of travel opportunities as I wish we had. You might look up some of the unschooling support groups and literature about how to break the lockstep that takes kids from preschool to grad school.
It's terrific that your husband supports it.
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Brave New World
Go! Do it! Before the shackles of elementary school tether you to your neighborhood! The only downside I can see is that your boys will miss their dad. But you and he can work around that via visits, phone calls, web cams, etc. It'll be great.
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loved it
Thank you for writing this. I totally understand where you're coming from. I often feel the same angst about staying home with the kids. There are moments of pure joy, quickly followed by rage, or boredom. It's an unbelievable journey. The quote I often hear is "The days are long and the years are short." I hope you do decide to travel the world with your mom and two sons. I think those responding negatively are just being mean.
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It's wild, but there's merit to it...
Time's awastin'.
I am not sure if this is the brightest idea, or the dumbest, but do know that it could be something you'd all talk about for the rest of your life.
Take pictures. A real camera, maybe digital and maybe film. Don't forget that the cardboard/plastic disposables might feel cheap, but make great pictures. If you lose one over the side of a boat or train, you don't care.
I would say that you want to point them at trains and boats.
Teach them addition and reading so they are ready for school, but you can do that in a train, too...
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I'm so happy to know
that Amanda Eyre Ward is rich enough to do whatever the fuck she wants to do.
That was the point, right ?
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i have to say
as a single working class mother who makes very little money, I would hate for every essay I ever read to be only within the scope of my own everyday experiences. However, Salon should include some essays from regular people who have satisfying lives despite being somewhat limited in their options. It seems the last two essays from Salon were about people with gobs of money but couldn't have children then did have children, had a satisfying career, but still weren't content. That's a little dull.
My opinion of this particular essay is that if the author is bored or dissatisfied with her kids at home, taking them on the road won't improve things. It seems to be instilled in people today that we can always *improve* our situation now matter how dire (fenced-in yard, missing your mother). How about taking the point of view that a situation can be changed from within, with attitude rather than changing the scenery? How bout realizing that what you've got is a treasure, especially with little kids.
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Do It!
Do it and do it now!! Before someone has time to talk you out of it. I wish my job was portable. I greatly miss traveling and living abroad. You kids should eat it up, too.
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Try it for a week first . . .
I have two children (ages two and four) and a professional job. I struggle with many of the typical working mom issues.
To me, however, the idea of traveling extensively with two small children sounds a bit like torture. Weekends away to Grandma's house are a big enough pain in the ass.
The idea sounds fun and romantic. It would be interesting to see what she would think of the experience if she actually did it.
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Go On vacation and try it
I traveled a lot before my daughter was two, (free airfare)--I too liked being with her but was driven nuts at home alone with her--if we were in a different place, it forced me to go out and hike or go to museum, she in a backpack with me--sometimes people we stayed with cooked and drank a cocktail with me, and I didn't have to entertain or drive. She got used to different smells and different situations. But I'd do it for a couple weeks at a time. If no one is sea sick, I think it'd be great to do a kid friendly cruise. But I think these are breaks that allow work from home parents to be with their kids more when they are really young and when it's prime bonding time. For the main course, find a good preschool, one they'll eventually love going to. You might be bored, but the kids will be developing a stable base.
(By the way, my daughter didn't like Costa Rica--the smells and different language--until she got older.) I was afraid to take her to France because I noticed all the children there were really quiet in public. I asked a french man why this was, and he said "we wait until we are adults to have our temper tantrums."
Also I'm a single mom who makes a low salary, but I have a flexible work schedule and have figured out how to travel cheaply. (after she turned two it settled down quite a bit) and it set her up for a love a travel--she forgoes Christmas and birthday gifts for the summer vacation and I give her the choice.