My daughter…
She takes Ballet, Lyrical and Jazz.
She’s in Chorus and a Book Club.
She plays tennis.
She wants to take gymnastics.
She wants to be a cheerleader.
She wants to take voice and art lessons.
She wants to start her own blog.
She’s ten, she has the energy.
There are only twenty-four hours in the day and I have four children.
I don’t have the time or the energy, I can’t keep up.
We cannot do it all, and it hurts us both…
♦
This post was inspired by Mama Kat Writer’s Workshop. “Write a post in just 12 lines.”
Oh, Allie, it’s so true – there are so many things we all want to do and only so many hours in a day. But life is about choices – many, many choices – and our girls will have to learn that sometimes we have to make choices based on what’s best for us right now, what we can wait to do later, etc.
It does make a Mom feel bad, though, doesn’t it?
It sure does. My mom only let me don one extracurricular each year and I resented her for it. As it is, I’ve said yes to everything I can – her activities add up to more than her 3 brothers combined – and she still wants more:)!
Hi Allie! I was thinking about you a few days ago then when the day rolled around for this linkup I was so excited to “see” you. Why do I wait till Thursdays to visit? LOL I finally subscribed.
Anyway, beautiful 12 lines. Powerful and universal emotions. I think your daughter’s zest for life must have been learned from her mother. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are MORE than enough. xoxo
Oh Marie, thank you so much! You made my morning (and it’s been a rough one). She does have a zest – and I am envious of it.
It’s true… we can’t do it all but it’s fun to try. Your girl sounds like she’s having a blast! You rock momma!
Thanks Toni. I appreciate it.
I know the feeling! But it’s great that your daughter has so many interests; one day she will have time to pursue them all. I hope she keeps the energy she has now so she can do it! You may be exhausted though.
I am! I do remember having that energy and I miss it so, so, so much! Not as much gas in the tank as there used to be.
I know th e feeling, I only have 1 daughter (and a son) and she’s only 5-1/2 years old, but she still has dreams bigger than I can handle!
I know, how do they conjure up these dreams at such young ages? It amazes me.
She’s gorgeous. And one of my friends has a daughter with a blog. It’s quite awesome to see her thoughts. She has a bright future, I can tell!
How old is your friends daughter? Is it a public blog? Curious – because she seems very serious about this. Almost like a dog with a bone.
Can be overwhelming, trying to keep up with the kids and all their wants. But it’s nice to hear she has many dreams and goals. She’ll do well in whatever she does!
Thanks Carol. I’m confident that she’ll do well – I just hope it at something like being a doctor or a lawyer:).
Oh the heart of an overwhelming mama and the heart of an energetic DO IT ALL daughter…
It’s so hard to discern just what to do and make those choices!! But we simply cannot do it all… Oh, how I wish we could!!
I’m really feeling the “can’t do it all” this morning, but that another blog. Thanks Chris.
OHHHHH Thank you because I totally get this post and I only have TWO girls. Two totally different girls who need me in two totally different ways. Then there is the job, the blog, the husband, the dog and the never ending list of to-do’s. Today I am totally feeling the can’t do it all Supermom I’m not t-shirt. I hope you know that your daughter will remember the time you were there and not the times you cannot be. Because I bet you are there so much more than you realize.
Thanks Kerri. I feel so bad for Barrett – because he has to ride along for all these activities. Of course they all did their time in therapy waiting rooms when they were little – but they don’t remember that.
I have that daughter, too! She did it all – for awhile. She danced, helped teach the younger girls, babysat, cheered, sang in the choir, played school volleyball and club volleyball, was in plays, ran track, took voice lessons. But once she started high school, she had to make some choices. Some were very difficult to make, but she could no longer do it all. She made all the choices herself. She’s still doing probably more than she should AND keep up with advanced classes, but she manages both, somehow. And I spent a lot of time sitting in the car, waiting. (I used to fall asleep at dance lessons, since they ran pretty late at night, and was always a little afraid someone would call 911 thinking I’d had a stroke or something.) If you can juggle it all with three other kids, she’ll start narrowing down her activities eventually…
Oh Dyanne – I fell asleep in the car once, it was so embarrassing. My son’s speech therapist had to wake me up! Now I usually read. Yes, I do know some choices are coming – because she’s very smart, too. And I know that the HS course load will be too much.
Oh, to be young again with all that energy and aspirations! Once she tries a few things, she’ll narrow down what’s really important to her and what she can do without. Kids have to learn to prioritize at a much younger age than we did, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Don’t feel bad, all you can do is the best you can do and I’m sure she sees that.
Thanks Lori – but I’m not so sure she see’s it:). We are going through a bit of a self-centered stage. This too shall pass…
She is beautiful just like her mama. 🙂 We can’t be all the things all the time…I have a feeling she knows she’s adored by you even when you’re spread thin.
Thanks Kat! It’s so true about being all things, isn’t it? It kills me.
That last lines cuts deep . . . I feel it often for all my kids. Cannot do it all for everyone. They have to wait, etc, and often times not get a chance at all. All good learning, but still . . . 🙁