Rebecca Eckler

I know it’s Christmas time and all, but I’d like to go back in time and celebrate Thanksgiving. Though I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I have a few things I'm thankful for, namely my parents. 

For the first time since my daughter’s birth, I recently left her to go on a vacation for a week. When I say left her, I mean I left her with my parents, not with her father, who is in Calgary. Usually when I go on vacation, I take Rowan with me. But, since she’s now in Grade 1, I couldn’t justify pulling her out of school, especially so close to school holidays.

My parents are amazing. They readily agreed to move into my house while I was gone.

I was freaking out leaving my daughter. While away, I called every morning before she went to school and every night before she went to bed. I knew, of course, she was in good hands. My parents, after all, raised four children. But there is a lot of organization that goes into leaving your child behind during school, with people (even your parents) who don’t know your child’s daily schedule.

I had to explain her lunches and snacks. I had to explain what days she has dance classes, where her school uniforms are kept and what days of the week she needs to wear certain uniforms. (Mondays and Fridays she can wear her casual uniform, Tuesdays through Thursdays she has to wear formal uniforms.)

I had to explain how the heat works in the house, how the bath works, where her pajamas are, what time she needs to be ready for school, what she eats, when she has to do homework. In fact, I had a moment before I left where I thought to myself, “It’s actually more work to leave than it would be to stay and do it all myself.”

 I had to let the school know my parent’s cell phone numbers and give my parents the school number. I had to sign a letter saying my parents could make medical decisions in my absence.

Here’s the thing: Not only was my daughter in good hands, I came home to learn that my daughter now knows how to sew. SEW! SEW! My mother taught my daughter to SEW while I was gone. I don’t even know how to sew.

That’s not all. 

“Mommy!” she cried excitedly. “I made my bed every day all by myself!”

Amazing. I never got the concept of making your bed everyday. I know it’s better to get into a bed that’s made, but I never got the importance of making a bed everyday, so it was never a rule in my house. 

I realized that not only are my parents amazing, but they taught my daughter a lot. (DID I MENTION SHE NOW KNOWS HOW TO SEW AND MAKE HER OWN BED?)

Also, I came home to see that my dad had fixed broken doorknobs, changed all the burnt out bulbs in my house, and unclogged my shower drain. I walked in the door and my house, thanks to my mother, has never looked more spotless.

So, all of you worried about taking off and leaving your children with your parents, don’t worry. 

In fact, I’m thinking that I should go away more often, leaving my daughter with my parents. Who knows? Maybe I’ll come back and my daughter will know how to do the laundry.

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