that the sight of my 15yo dancing to 'Can't Touch This' has filled me with deep joy?

[sadpapercourtesan]

disclaimer - I have a fever, so may well be rambling

DH is making lunch in the kitchen and sent DS2 to ask DS1 and I if we want a cup of tea. DS2's way of doing this was to dance into the room with "Can't Touch This" blaring out on his phone and mime the request at me, complete with what DS2 thinks are gangland hand signals

It's made me tearful in a happy way. When I was a kid, I was so beaten down and self-conscious after years of belittling, I would rather have died than dance in front of my mother. I didn't share humour with her like that. I didn't dance at all, I was convinced I was ugly and useless. I wasn't allowed music on either, I would have been roared at to turn that shit off.

Lockdown sucks, and I'm worried for my kids' education and their health, and I feel ill myself so that's tinged with fear as well. But that little snapshot of my gorgeous, happy, confident, hilarious boy has made me feel so much better.

Apologies for the self-indulgent twaddle. Please share your moments of positivity with me as well!

DS doing exercise game whilst I watch lol
Lockdown makes us closer
Miss DD though

Ds1 (5) and DD (3) dance and sing with no inhibitions and I love seeing them do it. It has helped me be uninhibited with them. DH does it all with them and has no inhibitions. I am the opposite- very self-conscious.

He sounds fab and he can bring me a cup of tea while he’s at it. Laughing around at home to pop music is definitely happy kid territory.

There’s a lot to be sad about with lockdown but there’s fun to be had with each other too if you are lucky enough to be safe and secure and happy in your family set up.

@mumoftwoplus1

Aww I love this. My DC are the complete Opposite to how I was as a child.
I was insecure, painfully shy, felt stupid because I was always being told I was stupid etc etc (I could go on forever about how shot my childhood was sad) I was terrified of both my parents, and although my childhood could've been a lot worse, a lot of it was pretty hellish. My DC are so confident, sooooo happy, have so much zest for life and I just look at them everyday and feel overwhelmed and overjoyed by them.

But you do realise your happy and confident kids that you feel overwhelmed and overjoyed by is down to you, right? They haven’t learnt that behaviour or attitude from just anybody. You have moulded them to be this way and have provided them with that outlook. There’s so many stories of “my parents were like this and that’s why I am too” but rarely do we appreciate and say “good going!” And “great job” to those that have broken such cycles with their own children I think you should be proud and happy with not only your kids but yourself, and the people you have shaped your kids out and taught them to be.

it's the childhood I wish I had and I'm so glad they feel able to be who they are so yes I know what you mean op yay for our kids

Yay for them but equally yay for you too for providing them with what they have.

What a lovely thread this is. I can’t believe some miserable grump voted OP as unreasonable. Clearly either an accidental click or someone’s snippy from not being able to get enough fresh air at the moment!

@RonnieBarkingMad excuse the very late reply but thank you at 5 years old, I remember vowing to myself that if I ever have children I'll be the opposite to how my mum was. Then pretty much every year that passed I had the same thought so I've made a very conscious effort to be a COMPLETELY different person and parent

Yay for meyou made my day reading this so thanks for mentioning it

My teen ds has a love of 80s music and regularly sings to songs I don't remember.

We also spent the afternoon bonding over washing my car and him sitting in the drivers seat wishing he was that bit older. He wants to be a mechanic.

Boys are so often under rated they are so funny, loving and as long as you know a bit about football and cars you do OK.

Loved that story.
I think I’m doing a much better job at parenting than my Mum did too and this has reminded me of that. Hope my Son goes on to be a better parent than me and his kids are better parents are better than him. I think that’s about the best you can do.