Being aware of my children's surroundings

As a mom I take my "job" very seriously. You see as parents we have one shot at getting this right and that is always in the front of my mind.



When my kids want to participate in activities, go to friends houses, have play dates etc.... I am like a detective from Law & Order with my questions.



When Danielle wanted to play soccer with our niece Brianna - Joe signed up to be a coach. He also coached T-Ball when they wanted to play that. It was a benefit for all because Joe ended up becoming good friends with his co-coach.



When Joseph wanted to play soccer we signed him up at the Y, Joe didn't coach but he stayed at every practice. Turns out we loved his coach and requested him to be Joseph's coach the next two seasons. He was fair with playing time, treated the kids like they were his own and he taught them the most important things - to have good sportsmanship, not focus on winning or losing and to encourage your teammates and the other team. (The kids were 4, 5 & 6 before I get comments from diehard sports people....)



Danielle wanted her friend to take the bus home with her to play after school - in true kid fashion she didn't have the girls phone number. So knowing how I would feel about just sending Danielle home on a bus to someone's house I didn't know, I wrote the other mom a note. I told her the girls wanted to play, I let her know my mom lives with us and she would get them off the bus and at exactly what time I would be home, I let her know we didn't have any guns in our house (I would want to know this) and I told her if she wanted to call me or meet me I would be available to her. She did call me and the first thing she did was thank me for the letter - she said so often people just send their kids or want parents to send their kids to play and they don't even know where or who they are sending them too. She did come over, our families met and the girls now go to each other's houses to play.

When Danielle wanted to start dance class Colleen sat in the lobby of the building while her and Amber took class - she never just dropped them off. Many years later I do drop her off now - because I know her teacher, she has been with her for years and I can tell she loves her like she was her own.

Joseph has been in Tae Kwon do for a year and a half now - their staff has never changed, they care about the kids and we are very comfortable with them. Joe stays to watch him anyway - but we do leave him there for special events/teacher workdays now.

I would rather have all the kids in the neighborhood at my house eating and drinking me out of house and home than they be somewhere else because it allows me to know who they are with and what they are doing or what they are talking about.

While I know as they get older, Joe and I will have less control over where they go and who they spend their time with, I do feel if we plant the proper seeds now and surround them with people who share our belief's and values and who truly care about them, they will be more less likely to stray too far from them.