Published on October 20th, 2014 Updated on January 10th, 2023 By Linda McGurk
It finally happened. The moment I’ve been waiting for ever since I became a mom a little over six years ago. A major milestone. Big parenting victory.
So, did the Big Naturalist bring home a report card with straight As? Nope. (Well, she did, but that’s not what I’m talking about.) Did the Little Naturalist lose her training wheels or learn how to buckle herself into her car seat? No dice. Did we get a full night’s sleep without having little people sneak into our bed? Hell no.
Better yet: The other day the moment finally came when I had to call my daughters in for dinner.
Say what?
Let me explain. I’d been outside doing yard work for a few hours, while the girls were playing nearby. Eventually, I went inside to work on a few things and left the girls outside, since I didn’t want to interrupt their play. I fully expected them to come barreling through the door to the mud room about ten minutes later, because that’s usually how it goes. At three years old, the Little Naturalist still prefers to be close to her Mamma. That’s perfectly understandable. And if there’s nobody left outside to keep her company, the Big Naturalist usually follows.
But this time it was different. I watched them through the kitchen window while I started working on dinner. They were playing in some tall weeds, where they had built some sort of nest. I could tell from their vivid body language and facial expressions that they were deeply involved in imaginative play.
Half an hour went by. Then an hour. And another. It was starting to get dark and dinner was ready. “Girls. Girls! GIRLS! You need to come in for dinner!” At first there was no response. When I finally got their attention, they looked disappointed and grudgingly came walking toward the house. “We were playing cats,” the Big Naturalist explained, once they got their coats off. “I was the mommy cat and she was the baby cat,” she added, pointing to her little sister.
As much as I love being outside with my girls, I was absolutely thrilled that they had just spent two hours outside without me and that I had to MAKE them come inside. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to ditch them so that I can go do other stuff (although getting a head start on dinner was pretty nice). I just remember what it was like to be a kid and explore, adventure, imagine, play and grow in the outdoors. A lot of kids today will never know what it’s like to stay out “from sunup until the streetlights come on,” as older people constantly tell me that they used to do. But it’s something that I deeply wish upon my own children.
For that reason I’ve been getting outside with the kids for the past six years, every day, regardless of the weather. It hasn’t always been easy. It hasn’t always been fun. We’ve had our fair share of disastrous hikes, soaking wet boots and wardrobe-related meltdowns. Sure, most kids – including mine – love to play outside when given the chance. But they also have a lot of other distractions, and they don’t always want to go outside.
I know I have a lot of shortcomings as a parent. But as I was watching the girls getting so engulfed in their cat game that there was nothing else they’d rather do or nowhere else they’d rather be, I knew I had at least done something right. For the girls, getting called in for dinner for the first time may not have been a big deal. They probably won’t even remember it or grasp the significance of it. I, however, am sensing the beginning of a new era. And I think it’s going to be a good one.
What are some of your kids’ recent milestone? Please share in the comments!
Love it. My kids aren’t into the playing outdoors without me yet. I can’t wait.
It’ll come, I’m sure:o) It really does get easier as they get older.
That’s awesome. Jealous. With only one child, it’s hard to motivate him to play in the backyard by himself for hours.
I can definitely see that, Tanya. Maybe when he gets a little older he’ll want to stay out with his friends:o)
I love it!! I love when I have to drag my boys in from outside!!
I know! It’s a great feeling:o)
Beautiful! Brought tears to my eyes reading what happened. What a pleasure that must have been to watch 🙂 And so glad you got some “alone time” to cook dinner!
It was a special moment for sure:o) And if this keeps up I might actually have time to cook more often and eat less leftovers in the future!
What a beautiful post, such a lovely moment to capture. I often have to fight with Little Man to get him inside for dinner but he doesn’t do too much playing outside on his own at 2 and a half. I look forward to this day. Thanks so much for sharing at the Outdoor Play Party
P.s. I have emailed you a couple of time but haven’t heard anything back, not sure if you missed them x
Leila – How awesome that you’re already having to drag Little Man inside – sounds like you’ve got a real outdoor child in the making:o) And yes, it does get so much easier when they start to enjoy playing more independently! I just sent you a FB message, so check your inbox – sorry your emails have not gotten through!
What a fantastic milestone and definitely the best achievement. I want my kids to play outside like that, there are moments when they can, but not as frequently as I’d like. It sounds like they were having a fantastic time having simple basic fun!
Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids
It definitely makes things a little easier! We’ll see if it’ll last now that it’s getting colder outside – so far so good, though:o) Thanks for reading.