Acedia #ouderzonden

Regular readers from Belgian bloggers might have noticed that there is currently a new blogging series launched with the # ouderzonden (#parental sins) by Romina from Big City Life. Once a week, we'll blog about the 7 capital sins of parenthood. You can find the participants here.

This weeks question is about Acedia (laziness – slowness ) : how do you deal with the pressure that is put on children from a young age already ( and hence also on their parents). Do you participate in the ratrace or are you more 'manana manana'?



I hate pressure
In general I hate pressure myself. We should refrain a month from drinking alcohol, we should skip eating meat in lent, we should do sports, we have to be creative, we have to have a career, ...

I just want to be happy and enjoy my life and I want the same for my children.  At their young age it's still fairly easy to guard them from any unneeded pressure. They only have to play, right?

I roll my eyes for perfectly themed birthday party decorations etc.   They are not the reason of fun, right?

As a child I've only had one major hobby and that was the music academy which I started at the age of 7-8 (and where I cycled myself after 2  years).  I've been going to a youth organisation for only a few years and that was it. My schedule wasn't overloaded with activities and I've never had the feeling I missed anything. I played outside on the street in all my free time.

Similarly I have no intention to overload my children's schedule either...not for their's sake, not for mine.  Less is more in my opinion.  I've always joked that they can pick a sport as long as it's available in the sport's center around the corner so they can walk to it themselves.  

And yet I 'd love for them to share a passion for music,  but I'd understand if they wish to sport and join some friends and ... I have no idea yet what they'll want and ask for but I do realise that managing choices might become a challenge. 


Doing your best
I do have a perfectionist side though and therefore I can't really understand people that do things just half of start something and give up right away. So here will be my challenge in parenting. I do want to teach them that they have to their best in anything they do...I belief you can succeed in life as long as you follow your passions and work hard and do your best in them.

But I don't know how I'll respond if they don't try enough, if they slack off, if they give up too quickly.   I'll encourage them, ...but at what point do you need to accept? Time will tell, I hope.


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