THE BAD PARENT

Okay so I DO feel guilty now...


Having raised children before and all too familiar with kids 'n sports, Cap and I conspired early on, NOT to introduce/encourage/speak of ANY spring or summer sports around JR. Our motives were simple - and selfish. We figured if we did, our boating season would be shot! And so, as classmates rushed off to soccer & baseball and the Lord knows what else, we've just stuck to our plan, not at all feeling any guilt. I should mention that while we kidded that if JR asked about playing a spring sport, we'd tell him there were no organized teams in our town, our plan was to let him play ONLY if he asked and showed a real interest.


So the plan has worked nicely...until recently when he asked for a baseball glove...UGH! But yes, we got him an inexpensive but good glove to play catch in the yard and the world was good. Until a week or so ago when he begged for a batting tee. UGH! But yes, we got an inexpensive folding one so we could take it to the beach with us when we go boating on the weekends - keep all of us happy, right? Well the first one was defective, and it wasn't until today that we got it exchanged. JR was WAY too excited for my liking, but I told him we could go outside and practice. Now this is where the guilt enters the picture. I set the darn thing up, show how to stand, hold the bat, etc. and let him go at it. He hits a few, then turns to me and says "I feel like a REAL baseball player now, Mommy". Not liking where this was going, but, needing clarification, I asked him why. He said, because now I have EVERYTHING I need. A glove, and a bat, and a ball a tee"....
So here I sit here watching him practice with a huge grin on his face, watching our summers on the boat fade away, and feeling really, really, really guilty...