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7 THINGS I FORGOT ABOUT CHILDREN

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Elle Knowles
7 THINGS I FORGOT ABOUT CHILDREN

This summer H and I had the pleasure of having Kerri’s two girls – Lia, 8 and Charlee, 5 – spend a week with us – without their mother.  We had a fabulous week with these two sweet grandchildren, but when it was over I realized what I had forgotten about young children and how old we actually are – because we felt it.

  1. MEALS – Children eat three meals a day plus snacks on a schedule – their schedule. We are used to eating when we want, what we want, and where we want. Children don’t necessarily like anchovies on their pizza,  avacoda’s on a salad, or oysters – raw or cooked.
  2. SAND- Children don’t realize when you live in Florida you have to brush the sand off your feet before climbing into bed or there will be “crumbs” in the bed as Charlee discovered. And YES, I do sweep.
  3. BEDTIME – Children should go to bed at a certain time or they are cranky the next day, though their scheduled bedtime is later than I would have liked. Actually, I think they make their own schedule.
  4. AWAKE TIME – Children get up at a certain time in the morning – too early for me – ready for breakfast.
  5. BEACH TIME – Children have a one-track mind and are like elephants who never forget. Mention the beach one time and that’s all they think of.
  6. TV TIME – Children watch a lot of children’s TV and H had to give up his remote for a while. Disney has been upgraded from Mickey Mouse cartoons to ten-year-olds-going-on-twenty and is not as family friendly as it once was.
  7. AIN’T THIS THE TRUTH – Children are always better behaved when their mother isn’t in the picture. Mom appears and the whining, pouting, and demands begin.
father gets home

We soon realized your life is not your own when children are involved. How did I forget this so soon?

~Elle

29 Comments

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About Elle Knowles

Elle Knowles lives in the Florida Panhandle with her husband and off-at-college-most-of-the-time son. She has four daughters, one son, and eleven beautiful grandchildren. 'Crossing the Line' is her first novel. The sequel 'What Line' is a work in progress. Recently published is Coffee-Drunk Or Blind - a nonfiction story of homesteading in the Alaska wilderness with her parents and four siblings, told through letters by her mother and remembered accounts from the family.

29 responses »

  1. ug-4y.com | December 1, 2015 at 2:51 am

    The potty chair is far more safe for most kids simply because their feet attain the floor and
    there is no worry of falling off.

    Like

    Reply
  2. amommasview | November 6, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    While we are stuck in this moments we are looking forward to the change and once it changed we don’t want to look back at the “hard” bits. I think that’s why we forget… 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Elle Knowles | November 6, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    Reblogged this on Finding Myself Through Writing and commented:

    I wonder sometimes why some posts get more traffic than others. Our of curiosity I combed through my stats looking for an answer because this particular post I published in September consistently pops up as being viewed and even commented on very frequently. It’s by far not my favorite, but for some unknown reason has appealed to my readers. With almost 250(that’s a lot to me) views, it has only drawn 17 likes and 24 comments, with 1/2 of those comments probably being my reply. What draws readers to this post? I don’t get it, but it is what it is! ~Elle

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  4. lbeth1950 | October 21, 2015 at 7:23 am

    I spent three months with my grandchildren this summer. Wonderful, but exhausting!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Gail Kaufman | October 14, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    My grandbaby is only 4 months old and I was looking forward to mom and dad taking a vacation so I can have her all to myself. Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn’t rush it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Holistic Wayfarer | September 22, 2015 at 11:48 am

    A lot of it is simply what the parents permit – like no. 6. They’ll watch it out the wazoo if the parents let ’em.

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. WagginMaster (aka Jerry) | September 17, 2015 at 7:16 am

    #11 – Most children are a ball of energy that run 100 mph as long as their little eyes are open.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. In My Cluttered Attic | September 16, 2015 at 2:52 am

    Elle, I think you nailed it. “Awake time…too early.” LOL oh and Disney not being as family friendly, I couldn’t agree more. ;o)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Sheryl | September 15, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    I enjoyed your list. It sounds like you had a wonderful time with the girls.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. hirundine608 | September 15, 2015 at 11:27 am

    Yep, one grandparent is so liberal, you want to scream .. while this grandparent’s hand, obviously has coodies? … Hur-a-hur … ask me if I care? For the expectations become less …

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  11. Trudy | September 15, 2015 at 10:41 am

    I was a strict Auntie and the children did pretty much what I told them, and their mother was amazed at how much they helped me get everything done. I miss that time so much.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. Lorie Smith Schaefer | September 15, 2015 at 8:26 am

    How lucky to have a full week with your littles. Since we moved we’re seeing ours several times a week. Saturday will be her third sleepover. Loving having our routinee disrupted this way. But we only have one. Pretty easy.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Charles Yallowitz | September 15, 2015 at 7:50 am

    Even a weekend away from the kid makes me realize how I’m not in charge of things. I call the shots, but so much time is lost to the arguing with the smaller version of myself.

    Liked by 1 person

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