4/27/2023 0 Comments Justplay ios![]() While I’m not smack in the middle of striver culture - my kids are still young and we homeschool - I do find my former organization kid inclinations telling me, “I need to find a Cub Scout pack for my third grader so he can become an Eagle Scout for college applications.” ![]() I resonated with the author’s feeling torn about overscheduling her kids and the fear of them “falling behind”. I picked this book up after seeing it on the 1000 Hours Outside book club list. But this book wasn't something I enjoyed. I don't know, maybe I missed a point she was making. If she had expanded on those moments more, she could have won me over. It was plopped in one sentence after three pages of complaining. There were moments where she mentioned moments of positivity and connection, but she didn't expand on it. Ultimately, I don't think she ended up feeling much more connected to them. And that she tried this drastic approach to find that. I got the feeling that she didn't feel connected to her boys. Well, they're her kids and it's her job to parent them so they learn how to have those skills, so maybe some of her energy should have gone into that more so than throwing a 50s themed party. Why was she surprised that they didn't want to go see a whale documentary? And she complained that they weren't polite or thoughtful or eager to read books with her. She complained that they didn't like to do what she likes to do. I was also frustrated that the author seemed to be annoyed with her kids, instead of finding their strengths and helping them explore those, while admiring them. But at this point in my life (7 years of motherhood/parenting), I didn't find any helpful tidbits or insightful approaches to try. It's possible that I might have identified and connected with this book years ago. This may be a result of where I'm at on my own journey to simplify and add meaning to my life. I feel like I read a jacket cover, but didn't experience any valuable take aways to apply to my own life. I think there was a book to be written from this experience, but this book was not it. I did not engage with the writing style of the author, nor her advice after she walked the reader through her experience. This book was built on an intriguing concept. It honestly just kind of felt like a book full of complaints about her family but then at the end she says she was so grateful for the summer and will do it again. Most of the book she is talking about her kids fighting or how much TV they’re watching and talks often about how her husband doesn’t like the kids playing on their lawn and how none of them appreciated an outdoor set up she created it and was excited about. There are some small moments where she seems to enjoy this time but honestly it felt like a laundry list of complaining and stressed me out a bit. ![]() but it was a memoir about a mom who tried to emulate the 1950s and not signing her kids up for anything to do and complains a lot about their time together. What I thought was going to be insightful and helpful tips on how to enjoy time outside with your kids, or her recounting a summer or just letting her kids play. I typically never leave reviews, but I was really disappointed in this book. With her trademark wit and candor, she reveals what we can learn from those long-ago families, why raising kids has changed so drastically, and most importantly, how to stop time once in a while and just play. During the shapeless days, she studies up on the myths and realities of the 1950s. Juggling the expectations of her husband ( Are you going to wear garters? ), her son, Sam ( I m bored! ), and her son, Jack ( Can I just stay in my pajamas? ), Pam sets out to give her kids an old-fashioned summer. Could they really have a summer like that? The thought was tempting, but was it possible? It would be like something out of the 1950s. Overwhelmed at the choices, she asked her sons what they wanted to do during summer: Soccer? Zoo School? Little Prodigy s Art Club?Ī summer with no scheduled activities at all. Facing summer with her two boys, ages ten and seven, Pam Lobley was sifting through signups for swim team, rec camp, night camp, scout camp, and enrichment classes.
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