Doing the Best I Can

We went into the summer with no real idea about how we would structure (or unstructure) our time. With Punkin out of school and business being slow for me, I didn't worry about it too much. But I had forgotten about the "I'm bored"s. I now feel my mother's pain.

The big difference between how she handled me and how I'm handling Punkin has to do with effort, really. My mother didn't go out of her way to entertain me, though she was pretty good about taking me to see friends, etc. And now that I think about it, that was a lot of effort, considering that we lived out in the boonies and it was a 20 - 30 minute drive to get anywhere. But when I was at home, I was on my own.

I wouldn't say that I am going out of my way to entertain Punkin, but I am making some effort to seek out friends for her to play with, activities to do, and places to go. She has a down day now and again, but has something to do more days than not. Today we're going to see Surf's Up and then she has a playdate at a friend's house.

I think, if left to her own devices, she would find plenty to do on her own. It fosters creativity. But it can also be pretty darn lonely, and I guess that's what I am trying to do better this time around.