About Guest Blogger
Pop in when you have a few spare moments for a cosy chat. Read about real-mom experiences and contribute your own slices of life at our Drop-In Centre.
Emma and her mom Sue on a rare visit back home to B.C.
Since Nadine has left the sweetspot.ca clan (in body but not in spirit!) us non-mom editors are tackling notions of family and parenting from our own unique view. This week, Emma talks about those things she learned as a kid that she didn't even know she was learning.
Sometimes learning is obvious — I knew I was learning my times table in math class and learning how to drive stick shift from my dad. But it's those things I wasn't even conscious of being taught by my parents that I'm most appreciative of as an adult. And here they are in no particular order:
1. If you're hungry, eat. If you're not hungry, don't eat. My parents never made a fuss about food. Ever. If I was full, I didn't have to finish (it would just go into the pig/chicken food bucket so it never felt like a waste). A friend's mom once made me eat everything on my plate and repaid her by vomiting on the dinner table. True story. But besides all that, I believe my parents attitude towards food shaped mine — I really do like everything (Brussel sprouts, blue cheese and kippers included).
2. If you're tired, sleep. If you're not, don't. I have an uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere and practically on command. I didn't really have a set bedtime but I'd have a bath, put on my pyjamas and more often than not would fall asleep on the couch against one sibling or another while my family watched episodes of Star Trek or M*A*S*H. When my parents would go out to a friend's party, I'd come with, set my little sleeping bag up in the corner and fall asleep to the sound of adults talking about clear-cut logging and Bill Vander Zalm (I'm from B.C.).
3. A room of one's own. While I loved sharing a bedroom with my two older brothers (hero worshipping, much?), I loved it even more when they moved into their own rooms. From the get-go my parents made it clear that it was my space and I could set it up however I liked. I painted and repainted. I made furniture. I covered the walls and ceiling with posters, mobiles and streamers. I engineered pulley systems to open the curtains from bed. I drew up numerous floor plans. Giving me this creative license ignited a deep interest in decorating that obviously lives on today with my work on SweetHome.
4. A book is always a good investment. Thanks to an early love of Asterix and Obelix comics, I'm pretty sure I was the only Kindergartener on Salt Spring Island who knew what (and where) Gaul was. Sure, they're comic books, and, yes, they're quite violent for a four year old but I read them. All of them. Over and over again. My parents weren't ones for buying expensive toys — or toys of any kind, for that matter — but they would always buy me a book if I asked. Thanks to them, words and I formed a special relationship, so much so that I ended up becoming a writer myself.
I understand that parenting involves a lot of trial and error and that every child is different, but I hope to one day pass on these lessons to my own children and have little bit of my parents' wisdom live on in them.
What did your parents teach you as child that you cherish today as an adult?
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: