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??

Sorry not read it all but is this happening again tonight, if so what time? Would love to see it.

OP, well done for rescuing the frog!! But maybe tonight, head out there by yourself and enjoy the shooting stars in peace.

Apparently so dbsparkles. I saw some just past midnight this morning so guess the same tonight

Ds's no1 favourite memory of his first European holiday is of my husband running madly after a bus in an attempt to reclaim a forgotten cardigan which I found tied around my waist just as he disappeared off down the street

I understand about wanting to "make memories" but I think you're doing it the wrong way round. An anecdote follows.

When dd was about 3, we were at a summer fair. It had been incredibly hot, and the day ended in a downpour. Everybody rushed for cover, except dp and dd who carried on dancing to the music from the merry go round. I was watching them, and said to one of the stall holders "I hope she remembers that forever".She said "She won't, unless you set the memory. Every now and again tell her the story of how she danced in the rain with her daddy- then she'll remember" I didn't, and she doesn't remember it at all.
So, when lovely things happen, tell them the stories. Make them part of their mental furniture. That's how you make memories. Not by setting up events. Although " Do you remember when Mum tried to get us all up to watch the shooting stars and we wouldn't get up and she ended up getting drunk on red wine by herself in the garden and fell in the paddling pool and there was a frog in it and all the security lights came on and the police arrived because someone thought we were being burgled?" would be a pretty good family memory.........Stories do grow in the telling!

If it makes you feel better DS2's favourite memory is of a time years ago at dinner when he was holding water in his mouth and I squeezed his cheeks and he squirted the water into my face. He brings this up regularly in fits of giggles.

You don't get to manufacture the memories you want. Instead they remember weird stuff and moment of your own idiocy.

wait till October and December....there's another set of meteors then and you can just go out before bed since it's dark so early!

may have the names muddled, but the best ones are orionids and geminids

I remember my mum trying to 'make memories' for us one night by deciding we would all sleep outside on camp beds (much to my dad's disgust). We were right beside the garage and the massive chest freezer started making a funny noise so she opened the garage door, tripped over my skateboard and fell onto a bike splitting her head open. Spent the night in A & E instead so although we made memories, they weren't quite the ones she was hoping for. My mum was ace.

Other dates here!

Ignore the naysayers, it was a great idea. I tried something similar last year, took camp beds and blankets out. Older DS ignored me but youngest came out, we never saw any but we had fun.

Day of the triffids ruined meteor showers for me.

Is The Perseids shower on tomorrow night???

I can get to a dark sky park if so.

Lucybabs - my DS will also happily reminisce about the time he vomited all over me and all of the bedclothes and other gruesome episodes.

He's not so keen when I remind him of the time he half woke up, walked naked into the living room, and a poo fell from his bum to the carpet though.

If they had gotten up, the thing they would probably have remembered was the frog.

One attempt of my mum's to try and 'make memories' did result in a really fantastic picture though.
We were camping when I was 14 or 15, and she decided to wake me up to watch the sunrise (wtf, ma?). I got up - sort of - but wouldn't get out of my sleeping bag. I have it pulled over my head in the picture and look like a giant green slug - with just one glowering eye showing, threatening dismemberment and possible death to the first person who speaks to me.
Good times.

Oh OP please disregard the inexplicable sourpusses on this thread...I think your idea sounds lovely and is the type of thing we would do too. Yes sometimes our great ideas fall flat but sometimes it's wonderful.

Nothing wrong with the term 'making memories' and getting the kids out of bed to see shooting stars is not 'odd'. Infact it's odd to think it's odd. Miserable as fuck.

Love your enthusiasm - don't change it for the world.

We get a mattress out in the yard every year for the 'Glorious twelfth'.

Who wakes the children at midnight to do that!

Meeeee! I do! And what the fuck of it?

OP you have inspired me to do this tonight with my DS. That plan may change after a full day of "I'm bored" though. Either way I know my plans for tonight!

I think these things have to be organic, no matter how hard we try we can't create them.
My only memory of watching the first ever moon landing is the Tom and Jerry cartoon on before it.
My DD was 4 when Princess Diana died and my DH took her to Kensington Palace one night to see all flowers thinking it would be a memory - when I asked her about it she said in a tone of awe 'Mummy, I had a WHOLE Mars bar, all to myself'.

But I do remember being about 13 and on holiday at my GPs in Ireland. My brother and I had left our bikes under a hedge a couple of miles away (absolute middle of nowhere, awful bikes, perfectly safe). My grandad went mad at us and sent us out at about 11 o'clock to collect them. It backfired on him as there was the most spectacular display of shooting stars I have ever seen. We ended up lying on our backs in a field watching them for hours. Totally random and unexpected and so beautiful. Eventually my grandad drove out to find us as we had been gone so long.

We do this, I make a bed up outside, get hot chocolate and the chimnea going. It looks cloudy as hell at the moment though.

I also wake mine up for snow, hedgehogs, bats, fox Cubs, stag beetles. At the moment they get up, but I've no doubt I will just get grunted at when they are older.

Spontaneous things do often make their mark don't they...although I would argue that OP was spontaneous last night getting the kids up.

One of our cosy, magical family memories involved watching a thunder and lightening storm rage over the mountains of Torridon from the door of our tent where we were warm, dry, protected from the torrential rain and supping hot chocolate. You had to be there, but it was amazing.

I think you tried to do a lovely thing

It is the 'Making memories' posts on Facebook that make me want to vommit , I suspect because I am a hopeless parent who doesn't do enough with her children

blackheartsgirl That's so lovely! You've inspired me to say 'yes' to the occasional strange request, however bonkers, just to see what happens.

I agree that trying to create memorable events is a bit contrived though, especially at times like Christmas. We all remember the time Uncle Alfred accidentally set the table cloth on fire trying to light the Christmas pudding after one too many sherries rather than the 'magical' experiences our parents tried to create.

Unfortunately you can't force it, the best memories are the random spur of the moment stuff.

If you plan it, expectations are always too high and it normally falls short.

God, some people are so pissy!!

Op, it's a lovely thought, not 'forced' or batshit!

If they say they really want you to wake them up tonight, set an alarm for them?

I'm going to try and see some tonight, and if they're out, I'll be waking my 9 & 5 year old up! They'd love it 😊