I'm Not a Tiger Mom!

     So a couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with an old friend on facebook. It was a typical convo.

                    Her:  "How is your summer going?"

                    Me:  "Busy, busy, busy! Ya know, with the three kids and all."

     But then she asked a question that kinda threw me for a loop.

                    Her:  "So what activities are your kids involved with?"

     I didn't know exactly what she was getting at. Activities? It's summer and my three kids are only four, four and five years old. What kinds of activities would pre schoolers be involved with?
                    Me:  "Umm...Activities? We spend a lot of time at the pool...."
                    Her:  "They don't do soccer/baseball/cheerleading?"
                    Me:  "We spend A LOT of time at the pool."
                    Her:  "Oh...."

     I was left feeling that I should have justified my children's LACK of involvement. Am I wrong in thinking that four and five years old is too young? Is my opposition to the "Tiger Mom philosophy" going to detrimentally harm my children's development?

     I have a lot of friends on facebook that post the details of their children's lives meaning, I know that every Tuesday and Thursday Little Tommy* has karate and that on Wednesdays Melissa* is driven to ballet class more than 30 miles away. I know that Susie* has been taking piano lessons for the past 18 months and she is only four and that George* has been wrestling since he was two. I read these parents' status updates in awe of their comings and goings. These pre schoolers have crazier schedules than I did when I was working full time as a PR Rep for a multi-location, restaurant franchise. And if you ask any one of those parents why they do it they will tell you they are investing in their children's future. (I know this because I asked a few of them and that's what they told me.) But it just seems so... excessive... or maybe I'm just not giving my children the best start.

     I've decided that when questioned about my reasoning for not doing the endless classes and activities, my statement will be simple; I am allowing my children to be children. There is plenty of time for them to be over-scheduled, overworked and over-involved. Why shouldn't they be given every opportunity to enjoy a childhood unencumbered by schedules and structured events? Isn't that worth investing in?

*Names, details, and activities have been changed so that I don't get kicked out of my MOMs club and get blacklisted by every mommy I know in real life.

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