Peer Pressure...

*I want to make a shout-out to my awesome friend Mandy for the awesome Fall Blog Tag! Thanks Mandy for taking the time to do that for me! You're the greatest!*

Jody's first pictures from his new IPhone, he's so high-tech now



I really thought that once I was grown up, married, with kids, (you know, far away from middle school and high school) that I would never feel "peer pressure" again...Guess what, I was WRONG.

I have been meaning to make this post for awhile now, but today really made me activate those thoughts. So, let me play this out for you a little...

On the way to Mother's Day Out this morning, this was my conversation with Mia...
Mia: "Mommy, can I play volleyball today at school?"
Me: "Well, Mia, you need to ask your teachers." (Then I thought about it, and realized she meant basketball because they have a program called KinderTots for those who pay a good amount of money for the semester, and they are taught how to play basketball. Well, lets use the word "taught" loosely since we are talking about 3 year olds. Now, mind you, we did not sign Mia up for this because its really pretty expensive and we didn't think she'd really care.)
Mia: "My teachers told me that I had to ask my mommy."

So, I was like, "Ah, man, how do I explain to Mia why she isn't doing this program." Oh, it gets worse...SO then, I am dropping off Mia in her class (yes, 15 minutes late, as usual.) and I am flooded with a sea of blue. (The KinderTots kids all wear matching blue shirts.) Really, they are going to rub this in my face..you know, that my child is like one of 4 or 5 kids NOT participating in this. My heart really sank. Like I was doing an injustice to Mia, or that she was to feeling left out. I left her school, feeling HORRIBLE.

This leads me to my issue...Peer Pressure amongst parents. I have been noticing lately that the pressure on me as a parent is starting to rise. I am starting to see myself being influenced by what other parents are putting their children in. Or, I have been noticing me, along with other parents, comparing our children. Maybe I'm alone in this, but I sometimes find myself looking at other kids Mia's age (and even Eisley at times) and comparing her to them. You know, Mia is doing this and they aren't or just the opposite, they are doing THAT??? Oh no, Mia doesn't do that yet! Is something wrong with her??? Well, let me tell you, I get so sick of doing it. I quickly find myself doing this, at least most of the time. And I try to take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ, but its really a struggle at times. She is only three, and I am NOT ready to have to fight this battle for the rest of her life! Yuk! Please, let me know if anyone else has a tendency to do this too.

Oh, one last thing, lets not forget that on Tuesday, when Mia was getting ready for gymnastics, she tell me she wants to wear her ballerina outfit (just a cute little leotard, but definately more for ballet.) to gymnastics. I told her no, and she proceeds to tell me, and I quote..."But mommy, all the other kids get to wear them." Really???? She is three!!! Is it too early to ask her "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you???"

Mia's gymnastics outfit (nope, not like ALL the other kids...or so she says)