Cooped-up, Cop out, Co-op?

Okay, obviously I like word play (I’ll get to my title in a minute).  But I like play play, too, and that’s what’s on my mind today. Now that I’m old enough to be observing my kids raising their own children, I’m acutely aware of how important it is for parents to get away and have fun separate from the kids. When I mention this to my clients, I hear comments about the expense, the problems with scheduling, the stress of leaving kids with strangers, the fact that they LIKE being with their kids, the concern that little Johnny gets so anxious when we go out, and so forth. Each and every one of these comments makes sense, of course, but I also think we should have our antennae up for when the excuses might indicate an area of concern. Roberta Gilbert’s book, Extraordinary Relationships can be revelatory in helping us understand the importance of becoming a stronger person for the sake of your whole family. Remembering to take yourselves seriously enough to play is one of those ways.

My title? You’re parents; you need fun. You are somewhere on a continuum of being cooped up – seethingly desperate to get away- or you’ve copped out altogether and the idea of having fun isn’t even on your radar. You are parents; you need fun. Go to this site, put in your zip code and, at the very least, find a babysitting co-op in your area.  You are parents; you need fun. 

 www.babysitterexchange.com/servlet/Main.jsp