To feel a bit sorry for children whose parents don't do anything creative with them?

[flamingobingo]

I expect a lot of people will think I am, but I don't care.

I don't love doing crafts (in fact it drives me mad most of the time), but isn't it part of parenting?

You kind of signed up for it, didn't you, the day you got pregnant?

Not creative stuff, necessarily, but putting your own preferences aside for a few minutes to spend time with your child, doing stuff you don't really like.

I have no memories of my mum spending any time doing crafts, baking, etc etc with me, and I'm still bitter about it.

In a bout of guilt I about to embark on a mammoth paint n craft session outside

YABnot only U but patronising and smug into the bargain. I do loads of crafts with my children but does it make me a better parent? I am thinking not.

Another thing for me to feel guilty about.....thank god he goes to nursery twice a week

I'll be creative in the kitchen with my DC's (the odd fairy cake session) but that is about it. They are more creative when I'm not around anyway - I tend to stiffle them with my ideas

I manage the trauma of egg decorating once a year (it always ends in tears with glue, glitter and feathers stuck everywhere except on the damn eggs!) but that is as far as I'm prepared to go.

And I don't feel at all guilty.

Creativity is NOT about art and crafts.

Playing in the mud with shells or flowerpots is SO much better. It doesn't mess the kitchen up for starters and they can go back to it the following day. Providing the environment is the parent's job not sitting there getting sticky and glittery and bad-tempered.

I was going to write a well argued defence of the uncrafty parent, but on second thoughts I'll go with this;
Bugger off and worry about your own children, and don't feel sorry for mine. And I hope they get paint on your telly and indelible ink on your soft furnishings.

YABU, and bloody smug to boot.

That's true actually hocuspontas.
I'll spend all day being creative in the woods building dens with my DC's. It's just the glitter and glue stuff I can't stand.

Well said JoPie..esp love the bugger off and worry about your own children, and dont feel sorry for mine.

PMSL

Ok, clearly I am BU.

But FWIW:

1. I didn't say 'AIBU to think that parents who don't do crafts with their children are shit and that their children are neglected and will grow up with serious issues' so those of you who are seriously overreacting need to get a grip [big fat passive aggressive ]

1. Did I say that parents need to feel guilty if they don't do it? No - that's your own take on it.

Anyway, sorry - now I know I am being very unreasonable. Not quite sure why I need to be told to bugger off - I thought that personal comments weren't ok!

It was the smug way you felt the need to feel sorry for someone elses child...

Of all the things to judge for...

Ok, ok - I've said sorry.

No need to go on!

Shall I go and sit on the naughty step?

Yes please and no messing about! LOL

I so so disagree with this attitude that you "should" do x , y and z with your kids. You should be true to yourself and do what you enjoy. There's no point doing crafts if you hate it, your lack of enthusiasm will easily seep through.
Do what you like.

To my mind the only people who think that parents "SHOULD" do certain( peripheral) things like craft are actually a ball of anxiety about their own parenting.

Well... I'm an art teacher and it's not my plan to be particularly artsy with my as yet unborn child. I think I'll leave that to my partner...

I sometimes feel a bit sorry for DC's mates that come to our house and stick and glue or build dens out of the sofas and utterly love it but say they're not allowed to at home.
But it's only a fleeting moment. They're not seriously deprived or anything.
I feel the same way about adults that don't enjoy reading or country walks. It's an oh what a shame moment, but nothing more.

Well, I feel a bit sorry for children whose parents are not teaching them to code (which is what DH is doing right this second). Poor things.

Then they are going for a run (well DH running, DS scooting) so I feel sorry for kid's whose parents are not runners as well.

It is just neverending isn't it? the way other parents do things differently!

Hey Flamingo -

Do you swim/play football/cricket/other sports with your dc?
Take them to museums? Theatre? Ballet? Symphony?
Do you cook and/or sew with them?
Read to them?
Garden with them?
Host multiple playdates/sleepovers?
Go camping?
Run their Brownie troop?
Are you a room parent at school, or part of the PTA?
Do you take them to church, or educate them about religious choices?
Etc?

Aren't those things also part of 'what you signed up for' when you decided to be a parent?

Btw, if you don't do any/all of those things, I don't feel sorry for your dc. I just figure you do other things with them, and have your own way of spending time with your dc. There are many ways of being a loving and stimulating parent.

I think just being allowed to be a child is underrated. I can't stand wall to wall activities between bath and breakfast and assume my children don't want that sort of life either. I think they discover a lot about themselves and explore their imaginations by being allowed to be bored alotofthetime sometimes.

YABU.

Please don't feel sorry for my children.

ffs
yabvu

Please read the rest of the thread. I have already apologised

flamingobingo you don't get to turn a thread off just cause you don't like the way it is going.

One of the dangers of posting on AIBU.