To be gutted my attempt to make memories with kids failed!!

[sparepantsandtoothbrush]

I was looking forward to waking the children at midnight to watch the shooting stars tonight. What a lovely memory it would be for them. DD (9) grunted at me, went for a wee and then decided it was too cold to sit outside (snuggled in her onesie and blanket while sipping hot chocolate). DS (11) refused to wake up even enough to acknowledge me and DH has an important meeting tomorrow so couldn't stay up late.

So, I was sat in the garden on my own with a glass of wine. Saw one shooting star....and then there was a squeal from the deflated paddling pool. A frog. Being chased by the neighbours cat. So I had to rescue the frog. The security light kept going off after as the cats kept running across my lawn in search of the damn frog which meant I couldn't see stars anyway.

AIBU to suspect all the wonderful twee family moments are all fiction??

One of my kids is called Percy. Every year i resolve that we should have a special family celebration of the Perseids - a picnic under the stars or something. Every year i can't actually be arsed to get everyone out of bed in the middle of the night.

When our DC were 8 and 10 we took them to Spain for a holiday, we swam in the sea, snorkelled, took them to see authentic flamenco dancing in the mountains, played in the pool, went on trips to pretty mountain villages. At the very busy crowded airport on the way home we were about to board and DS 8 was hungry and so in a hurry we grabbed him one of those pre packed tuna and cucumber sandwiches to eat while we queued with the other hundred families at the gate. While DS was eating his sandwich he said to us, "one day would you bring me back to Spain?". Feeling chuffed with ourselves for giving him such a memorable holiday we said "of course darling - what was it you liked - was it the swimming, the snorkelling, the flamenco?"
"No" he replied "it's the tuna and cucumber sandwich". How we laughed.

Contrived and synthetic. But that is the US/UK trend. Nothing natural any more.
You cannot force anyone to remember something, in the same way that you cannot force anyone to forget.

It was a nice thing to do. Ignore the bitchy comments. Some nutter will be along soon to point put the sugar content of the hot chocolate.

Never mind OP, you've made Bragadocia's husband and a drowning frog very happy, so it wasn't a completely wasted night.

LucyBabs I had that same conversation with my mum yesterday in the car.

We drove past a place and she asked do I remember when she used to take me there when I was little, I couldn't remember ever going but somehow got started on the topic of every time Id ever threw up, the funniest being when the dog was trying to eat it and my mum was batting the dog away whilst holding my hair and dragging me slightly as doing it - So yeah basically at the age of 36 I cant remember places we went as really special times, just times I was sick.

Op I would have loved to see the shooting stars at my age now, but as a child wouldn't have been so bothered! At least you tried though!

It's the random spur of the moment shit that kids remember the best.

This times 100.

You can't "make" memories. That's so contrived.

If my OH came in one night and said "let's make this a night to remember", I'd groan. Same with kids.
The most touching and memorable moments we have had ( with our children too) are the ones that happen spontaneously, the unexpected- often over the simplest of events.

The whole idea of "making memories" is doomed to failure.

Do you know what my favourite childhood memory is? One day my mum happened to be working near my school so picked me up in the car, meaning I didn't have to get the bus.

That's it.

Never mind the foreign holidays, the Christmases etc. that's what I remember most fondly.

Poor parents !

My favourite childhood memory was when my dad knocked himself out playing paintball. Then, about 3 days later he cut through the flymo cord when mowing and flew about 20 meters down the garden! How we laughed (1979 so it was ok not to worry about electric shock)

Not paintball ffs. SWINGBALL

When I was a child my father used to breed horses. On the nights when he was 99% sure a foal would be born he used to tuck me up to sleep at bedtime in the reclining chair in the sitting room and then wake me up to watch the birth. My son teacher at school used to know when this had occured because by the middle of the next school day I would be asleep with my head on the desk!

son
school

Gah you don't make memories, memories happen. You can't choose which bits of childhood your kids remember fondly. My kids still talk fondly about the night the power went off and we all slept in the living room with the gas fire and ate chocolate biscuits for breakfast any such attempt to recreate this would I imagine leave them moaning about wanting to sleep in their own bed and why can't they have cereal like normal.

Moments which make memories tend to happen organically rather than being forced.

And I have to say if my mother had woken me up at midnight 'to see the stars' when I was that age I would have thought she was pissed and been annoyed.

Got to be honest op I like my sleep and wouldn't have appreciated being woken at that time even as a child.

That said, it was a lovely idea. But I agree with pp. the best memories are those that happen spontaneously. Try not to be too disappointed.

I forgot to woke DD1&2 DD1 wants to be an astronaut too. I woke them up at 6 this morning for their 1st trip to London today so will be making memories today for them, only 4 hours of travelling to get them there then to travel 4 hours home one of the times I wish we settled down south

DS1 remembers every holiday and special event by what was eaten at the time!

Some people are so mean. You tried to do a lovely thing OP but fwiw if anyone tried to wake me up when I was asleep I'd not be impressed. Unless I'm getting on a plane you'd have no chance. Sorry.

I agree with the others I'm afraid. You can't orchestrate what other people remember. Children are individuals, not film characters you are writing the script for. Nothing wrong with the idea of watching shooting stars, of course it's lovely, but I really struggle with the artifice of 'making memories' as oppose to just living life, and doing nice stuff.

It's ok buzzy I'm not offended by them. Although obviously my use of the words making memories was a wrong one I should have pointed out Id seen a few stars already which was why I SPONTANEOUSLY decided to wake them up. Apparently that word would have made a difference. Odd.

Thanks for the other stories. They've brought back a few childhood memories of my own

You can't 'make' memories. That's so contrived.
Gah, you don't make memories, memories happen.

Yes times a million. Forced fun isn't fun.

You can't "make" memories? So no child whose parents spent thousands of pounds to go to Disneyland to orchestrate that event have any fond memories of it? Rubbish.

YABU for the term making memories. It turns my stomach.

It's all so contrived. Just let these things happen.
Favourite childhood memories of mine without a doubt playing with our dogs. Not I anything organised or with other people just our family and the dogs

Abyssinia that's not what is generally meant by the phrase.

going on holiday is bound to result in memories whether it's a caravan in Rhyl or Disneyland.

But setting out to "Make memories" is an exercise in futility.

I didn't force them out of bed fgs! I was sat looking at the stars, thought "the kids might like to see this rare (non synthetic) event" so tried to wake them. They weren't interested so I left them to sleep. In fact neither of them can remember me trying to wake them anyway!