Eldredge Antics: Under-Protective Parent

June made a new friend yesterday—Alaina. They went on a bike ride together to the tunnel on the other side of the lake. June said it took some convincing to get Alaina’s mom to let her go. In the end, she only said yes because I let June do it.

Alaina told June that her mom is over-protective. June told Alaina that I am under-protective. LOL

After June told me this, she and Avery gave me all the reasons why they think I’m an under-protective parent.

There were all the times the over-protective parents called the cops cause my kids were doing things they couldn’t believe they were doing at their age—standing next to a canal (Avery), walking alone and barefoot in the rain to get the shoes he’d left at a friend’s house (Ross), walking to grandma’s (also Ross) LOL.

I didn’t feel the need to do much explaining each time the cops showed up. I didn’t think we were doing anything wrong! LOL (Ok, except maybe the walking to grandma’s, but I caught him before he made it very far!)

There was the neighbor who couldn’t get ahold of me, so she followed Bryce on his mile-long walk home from the clubhouse. I was cheering for the girls in the kid triathlon and didn’t notice him leave. He declined her offer for a ride with a “No, I’m good.” LOL He made it just fine!

Then there was that dang FBI agent who came to our door, looked me over from head to toe, showed me his badge, and told me my kid was too young to be playing outside by himself.

In my defense, Ross was in our own yard!! But the FBI agent didn’t care—I should be out there. In the end I had to play his game. I had to memorize his car and when he went to work. I saw him circle back once when he didn’t see “mom” out in the yard watching over her young. I high-tailed it out there—even though I knew my kids were fine!

There were the times that, according to Jason and the kids, Avery was drowning in Rigby Lake and Ross was drowning in Stansbury Lake.

Um no, they weren’t drowning. Yeah, their heads went under water but I was right there to grab them. I even ruined my phone jumping in to get Ross.

See! I care!

There was that time my mom (also “under-protective”) and I couldn’t find June and Avery when we went to hike to Calf Creek Falls. So we assumed they’d already started the hike and we’d catch up to them. We hiked the three miles to the falls with a five-year old and a three-year old who had a broken leg (!!!), only to discover that the girls weren’t there. Oops! Six miles later we got back to camp and there they were! They’d been playing on the side of the mountain and hadn’t seen us leave! June still wanted to do the hike, so I turned around and did it with her. (See! I care! 😉) Avery was happy she’d missed it. LOL